What is Fritz Wunderlich?
'''Fritz Wunderlich''' (born [[Kusel]], [[Rhineland-Palatinate]], 26 September 1930; died [[Heidelberg]], 17 September 1966) was a [[Germany|German]] [[tenor]]. He was one of the great singers of his time, famous both as an [[opera]] singer and as a [[recital]]ist singing [[Lieder]]. Wunderlich came from a musical family. His mother was a [[violin]]ist and his father was a [[choir|choir-master]]. The family did not find it easy to make a living, especially after Fritz's father committed [[suicide]] when Fritz was five years old. As a young man Wunderlich worked in a [[bakery]]. People heard him singing while he worked, and he was persuaded to study music. He got a [[scholarship]] to study at the [[Freiburg]] College of Music where he studied [[French horn]] and singing. Wunderlich soon became known as a brilliant young tenor. He sang several roles in [[Mozart]]'s operas, and gradually learned roles in many other operas, including Verdi's ''[[Rigoletto]]'' and ''[[Don Carlo]]''. There is an excellent recording of Mozart's ''[[Magic Flute]]'' in which Wunderlich sings the part of the Prince Tamino and the famous [[baritone]] [[Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau]] sings the part of Papageno, the birdcatcher. Wunderlich had a lovely, clear voice which was excellent for German Lieder. He sang the great songs of [[Franz Schubert|Schubert]] and [[Robert Schumann|Schumann]], especially Schumann's ''[[Dichterliebe]]'' song cycle. Wunderlich was becoming world famous when he died from an accident: he fell down the stairs of a friend's hunting house and died just before his 36th birthday. == Other website == *[http://www.fritz-wunderlich-ges.com/english/index-english.htm Website of the Fritz Wunderlich Gesellschaft] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090729042450/http://www.fritz-wunderlich-ges.com/english/index-english.htm |date=2009-07-29 }} {{bio-stub}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Wunderlich, Fritz}} [[Category:1930 births]] [[Category:1966 deaths]] [[Category:German singers]] [[Category:German opera singers]] [[Cat