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The son of a Kapellmeister, who died young, Wunderlich, having been the outstanding lyric tenor in the Mozart roles of Tamino and Don Ottavio, (Salzburg 1959-1966) had already began to extend his repertoire towards the heavier Italian roles when an accidental fall led to his premature death. The recordings featured here cover his singing of lighter music recorded prior to his Salzburg years, and those made in November 1965, in full vocal maturity and featuring some of the heavier Italian roles referred to as well as film music and more operetta. One of the most fascinating aspects of the disc is being able to hear the evolution of a great voice in the early and what should have been the middle stages of a career. The Salzburg years and Mozart are missing, however there are many CDs in issue of Wunderlich's art from that period, and in that fach, to be found, particularly on the DG label. This disc owes its origins to the singer’s visits to Kaiserlautern and his relationship with SWR and the conductor.

On Track 1, 'La Donna e mobile', one hears a full toned lyric voice in its prime and ideally suited to the repertoire. There is some need for a little more grace in phrasing as the conductor hurries along. Infuriatingly, for me, Cavaradossi's Act 3 aria from Tosca [tr.2] is sung in German and again one senses Wunderlich's desire to hold back and phrase more elegantly; here the German language does not help him to caress the words. As it is, his characterisation is limited to somewhat lachrymose effects. The other tracks (13, 14 and 16-20) from these later sessions, featuring a wide variety of works from operetta and film music, culminate in a thrilling rendering of Agustin Lara's 'Granada'. These tracks also reveal an innate musicality allied to a virile tone, now much stronger in the chest voice than found in the earlier sessions where the singer's honeyed head and middle voice are particularly notable and appealing. (tr.4).

Perhaps in an attempt to standardise the sound from sessions spread over eleven years, an excess echo is present. Otherwise the sound is clear and without constriction with the voice well forward. I personally would have preferred a presentation in order of recording sessions. Nonetheless this is a welcome issue of a singer tragically taken before his full prime but whose impact had already been considerable. The booklet gives extended notes, in German, English, French and Spanish about the recordings, singer, conductor and the work of SWR.

Robert J Farr

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La donna e mobile

Und es blitzten die Sterne

Allein, weider allein

Sprich mir von der Liebe

Wenn der Mund schweigt

Schonster Sohn des Himmels! Holder Frieden!

Quel povero core

Alte Eiche an schwindelnden Hangen

Einmal hat mir zur Fruhlingszeit das Gluck gelacht

Wann kommt die eine, die ich liebe

Wie tanzen dort die paare

Arrivederci, bella Italia

O Rose von Stambul

Estrellita

Wolken geh'n am Himmel

Freunde, das Leben ist lebenswert

Ein Lied geht um die Welt

Ich kusse ihre Hand Madame

Tiritomba

Granada

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