Unique collection of Fritz Wunderlich’s recordings of Early Music predating J. S. Bach. A new installment from SWR’s comprehensive series of Fritz Wunderlich’s recordings. A celebrated, must-hear voice. Recordings 1954–1957 Digitally remastered from the original SWR tapes.

When we think of Fritz Wunderlich as an interpreter of “early music”, it's the parts he sang in Bach’s passions and oratorios that immediately come to mind. In this respect, Germany’s probably greatest tenor had already gone down in the annals of recording history during his short lifetime (26 September 1930–17 September 1966). His international fame in later years was due not only to his outstanding performances as a Mozart tenor but also to his artistic versatility: his repertoire included Romantic opera, Lieder and operetta as well as contemporary and popular music.

However, Wunderlich’s first recordings of early music and of music composed in the centuries before Bach are less well-known. They were recorded by the young singer from 1954 to 1957 and are featured on this double CD; the sound quality has been technically enhanced to maximum effect. Apart from the Bach contemporary Christoph Graupner (1683–1760, CD 2, track 6), the repertoire presented on these CDs covers a time span that ranges from two centuries to some decades before Johann Sebastian Bach’s birth.

The double CD begins with six of his songs that can be considered as true gems of the Lied. This is especially true of the autobiographical Lust hab ich g’habt zur Musica (I really fancied music). Those songs were recorded in the large broadcasting hall of the regional studio of the SWR broadcasting corporation in Freiburg, in October 1954. These songs belong to Fritz Wunderlich’s first ever sound recordings.

The composers on CD 2 mark the threshold of the Baroque period, the beginning of which is usually dated at the turn from the 16th to the 17th century. This CD mainly features sacred music by Heinrich Schütz, Johann Rosenmüller (1619–1684) and Dietrich Buxtehude (1637–1707). Quite fascinating is how effortlessly Wunderlich was able to integrate himself into an ensemble of singers. Even though Wunderlich always considered Mozart and Bach to be his “fixed stars”, he also succeeded wonderfully in adding extra sparkle to the music dating from the time before Bach.