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Opera Daily đŸŽ¶ — Fritz Wunderlich, Granada

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Opera Daily đŸŽ¶ — Fritz Wunderlich, Granada

"He sang everything with such love and hope, such passion and fire, that it made you think it was the last performance he was ever going to give."

Opera Daily
Jun 20, 2021
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Opera Daily đŸŽ¶ — Fritz Wunderlich, Granada

www.youroperadaily.com
(Fritz Wunderlich, Photographer: MĂŒnchen Betz, Copyright: EMI Classics)

"The sudden impact of this artist's singing is so spontaneous, so dead right, we just dispense with all the analytical microscopy, sit back and delight in the forceful combination of a sunlit Mediterranean voice quality blended with a Central European musical and dramatic intelligence that only a truly charismatic tenor can provide."

Joseph Calleja, tenor


Today we’re listening to


Tenor Fritz Wunderlich singing “Granada” — a song written in 1932 by Mexican composer Agustín Lara. While “Granada” is not technically an opera aria, this song is most interpreted in operatic singing style. The text speaks of the Spanish city Granada, where “bullfights stain the ground with blood”, “the music is mesmerizing”, and “passionate lovers meet one another's eyes”.

Unfortunately Wunderlich’s life was cut short when he fell from a staircase in a friend's house. He was 35 years old. Many often wonder where his career would have taken him if he'd lived longer.

The tenor Jonas Kaufmann summed up Wunderlich and this recording so beautifully:

“Fritz Wunderlich’s recording of “Granada” is one of my desert island discs. His singing is incredible, absolutely bursting with energy. He sang everything with such love and hope, such passion and fire, that it made you think it was the last performance he was ever going to give. Whenever he sang, he was not just 100-percent an artist but also 100-percent a human being; there was always a direct link between his feelings and those of his listeners. With him, even shallow music and slushy lyrics sounded like the most beautiful thing in the world.”

They have a saying in sports to “leave it all on the field.” It means: Hold nothing back, put it all on the line. Don’t end the game feeling like you could have given more. Thanks to Fritz Wunderlich for reminding us of what that looks like.

đŸ“ș Watch and listen here (4 minute listen), Fritz Wunderlich singing “Granada” by AgustĂ­n Lara, Hans Carste conducts the Graunke Symphony Orchestra, 1965

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“Granada” by Agustín Lara

Granada, land of dreams for me
My song becomes gypsy-like when it is for you.
My song made of fantasy, my song a melancholy flower
That I come to give to you.
Granada, blood-stained soil, in bull fight afternoons,
A woman who preserves the enchantment of Moorish eyes.
I dream of you rebellious, a gypsy, covered with flowers
And I kiss your scarlet mouth, juicy apple, that speaks to me of love affairs
Granada, my beautiful sung, in precious verses
I have nothing else to give you, than a bouquet of roses
Of roses of sweet fragrance that framed the dark virgin.
Granada your land is full,
of lovely women, of blood and sun.

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Here are some other interpretations of the piece:

WATCH & LISTEN Placido Domingo
WATCH & LISTEN Luciano Pavarotti
WATCH & LISTEN Juan Diego FlĂłrez
WATCH & LISTEN José Carreras

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Have questions about this post? Drop your questions in the comments, and we will share more!

And cheers to all the dads, step-dads, uncles, grandfathers, and father figures who have made us into the people we are today. Thanks Dad, for all that you do!

Thank you for reading (and listening),

Michele

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Opera Daily đŸŽ¶ — Fritz Wunderlich, Granada

www.youroperadaily.com
3 Comments
OperaLover2
Jun 26, 2021Liked by Opera Daily

Every time I think I've encountered the ultimate tenor voice, you give me a new one to fall in love with. I enjoy listening to the older artists (Enrique Caruso, Beniamino Gigli, Jussi Björling, Luciano Pavarotti, Plåcido Domingo), the younger ones (Juan Diego Florez, Lawrence Brownlee, Jonas Kauffman), and also the countertenors (John Holiday and Nicholas Tamagna).

Fritz Wunderlich was "wunderbar"! What a tragedy that he died at the peak of youth, at the peak of his talent,and after his career had soared to the heights. This was a man who fulfilled his purpose in life, and quickly exited stage left. His voice deserved to be preserved for the ages. I can't explain why this is so technically, but I can attest to feeling the sweetness, warmth, clarity and emotion he conveys.

With respect to AgustĂ­n Lara's universally loved "Granada", I found no fault whatsoever with the great tenors on your list. This beautiful classic never fails to transport me back to Spain and all that I experienced, know and still love about this fascinating country. I hope you will eventually focus on operas, composers and artists who have emerged from Spain and her former colonies. I am already a fan of four such opera stars (PlĂĄcido Domingo, Montserrat CaballĂ©, Juan Diego Florez and Martina Arroyo). So tell me more! 👂

QUESTION

Are countertenors considered tenors, or is this an independent classification?

BIOGRAPHY

https://www.bach-cantatas.com/Bio/Wunderlich-Fritz.htm

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2940300/bio

DOCUMENTARY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5szr_lCyrE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jj1UGrYw0w

(It helps to know German, but the music needs no translation!❀)

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