#imafanboy

Fritz Wunderlich was, and still is, regarded by many to have been one of the greatest tenors of the 20th century, and one of my personal favorites.  One of the first videos to pop up on my youtube history is his recording of “Ombra mai fu”, a beautiful aria from Handel’s Xerxes.  I play that quite often in the car while driving.  It’s beauty calms me.  Sometimes I’ll pretend I can sing that well and join his voice with mine as we swell through the simple yet delicately scored ascending phrases.  I am reminded very quickly that his top notes were far better than mine ever will be.  Jerk.  But as with all great singers, he didn’t just show up one day and BAM...be awesome.  He had a ton of encouragement from friends and family who urged him to do something with his raw talent.

Although he did work hard, some would say he had some great advantages in his development as a singer.  First of all, this guy grew up in a musical home; his mom was a violinist (diva), and his dad was a choir director (egoist).  He got a full scholarship to the Freiburg Music Academy, where he also studied the classical horn.  However, his musicianship, breath control, artistry developed through hard work.  All that foundation was put in place BEFORE he began his meteoric rise as one of the leading tenors of his time.  For those of you out there looking to just “be discovered” without putting in the work first...think again.  Could it happen?  Sure.  But that’s a huge gamble, and why would you place your future on a bet?  But I digress…

What is so great about this dead German?  Well, until you hear him - I mean really listen to this guy - it’s hard to put into words what made him so beloved by so many.  So here’s what I’m going to do for you guys.  I’m going to provide some links and you need to go listen to them.  Even if you’re not a fan of classical singing, you need to hear this.  Forget about the language, forget about the style...just listen to his voice and what he’s doing with it.  And maybe, just maybe, you’ll learn something.  Do it for yourself and for your art.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sru-tbwLwew

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBmSi2OjvxU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WivrX29dufw

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