Haydn: The Creation Fritz Wunderlich

• 1 1A. Einleitung: Die Vorstellung des Chaos 07:06
• 2 1B. Rezitativ mit Chor: Im Anfange schuf Gott Himmel und Erde 02:58
• 3 2. Arie mit Chor: Nun schwanden vor dem heiligen Strahle 04:01
• 4 3. Rezitativ: Und Gott machte das Firmament 01:51
• 5 4. Chor mit Sopransolo: Mit Staunen sieht das Wunderwerk 02:00
• 6 5. Rezitativ: Und Gott sprach: Es sammle sich das Wasser 00:45
• 7 6. Arie: Rollend in schäumenden Wellen 04:13
• 8 7. Rezitativ: Und Gott sprach: Es bringe die Erde Gras hervor 00:37
• 9 8. Arie: Nun beut die Flur das frische Grün 05:35
• 10 9. Rezitativ: Und die Himmlischen Heerscharen 00:14
• 11 10. Chor: Stimmt an die Saiten 01:59
• 12 11. Rezitativ: Und Gott sprach: Es sei'n Lichter an der Feste des Himmels 00:42
• 13 12. Rezitativ: Im vollen Glanze steiget jetzt 02:55
• 14 13. Chor mit Soli: Die Himmel erzählen die Ehre Gottes 04:07
• 15 14. Rezitativ: Und Gott sprach: Es bringe das Wasser 00:24
• 16 15. Arie: Auf starkem Fittiche schwinget sich der Adler stolz 07:39
• 17 16. Rezitativ: Und Gott schuf große Walfische 02:39
• 18 17. Rezitativ: Und die Engel rührten ihr' unsterblichen Harfen 00:28
• 19 18. Terzett: In holder Anmut stehn 04:53
• 20 19. Chor mit Soli: Der Herr ist groß in seiner Macht 02:44
• 21 20. Rezitativ: Und Gott sprach: Es bringe die Erde hervor lebende Geschöpfe 00:28
• 22 21. Rezitativ: Gleich öffnet sich der Erde Schoß 03:02
• 23 22. Arie: Nun scheint in vollem Glanze der Himmel 03:45
• 24 23. Rezitativ: Und Gott schuf den Menschen 00:49
• 25 24. Arie: Mit Würd' und Hoheit angetan 03:59
• 26 25. Rezitativ: Und Gott sah jedes Ding 00:28
• 27 26. Chor: Vollendet ist das große Werk - 27. Terzett: Zu dir, o Herr - 28. Chor: Vollendet ist das große Werk 09:12
• 28 29. Orchestereinleitung und Rezitativ: Aus Rosenwolken bricht 04:52
• 29 30. Duett mit Chor: Von deiner Güt', o Herr und Gott - Der Sterne hellster, o wie schön 10:01
• 30 31. Rezitativ: Nun ist die erste Pflicht erfüllt 02:51
• 31 32. Duett: Holde Gattin, dir zur Seite - Der tauende Morgen 07:05
• 32 33. Rezitativ: O glücklich Paar 00:27
• 33 34. Schlußchor mit Soli: Singt dem Herren alle Stimmen 04:05
• Total Runtime 01:48:54

Info for Haydn: The Creation

„This classic performance of Haydn's greatest choral masterpiece was beloved tenor Fritz Wunderlich's last recording. He sings all of the arias, but he died before finishing the recitatives, which are here taken by Werner Krenn. The recording is, in addition, one of Herbert von Karajan's finest, vastly better than his later digital remake. His interpretation is straightforward and impressively large in scale, but never pompous or sanctimonious (which was Karajan's big problem in music of a religious character). The truth is, Haydn's consistently fresh and unpretentious invention acts as a positive anesthetic against bombast, and the composer himself once said that thinking of the Creator always made him irresistibly cheerful. With The Creation, Haydn returned the favor.“ (David Hurwitz)

„But this performance is gloriously memorable for the cultured beauty of the Berlin Philharmonic's playing, and the mingled joy, drama and majesty of the conducting. Then there is the peerless solo line-up, led by Gundula Janowitz's etereal, light filled soprano and the irreplaceable Fritz Wunderlich, who died in a tragic fall before the recording was finished, but whose lyrical, ardently phrased account of the tenor arias is the most urgent single reason for acquiring this great recording.“ (Richard Wigmore, Daily Telegraph, London)

„Best of all . . . is the famous Karajan recording, first released in 1969 but hardly showing its age . . . this performance is gloriously memorable for the cultured beauty of the Berlin Philharmonic's playing, and the mingled joy, drama and majesty of the conducting. Then there is the peerless solo line-up, led by Gundula Janowitz's ethereal, light-filled soprano and the irreplaceable Fritz Wunderlich . . . whose lyrical, ardently phrased account of the tenor arias is the most urgent single reason for acquiring this great recording.“ (Richard Wigmore, Daily Telegraph, London)

Gundula Janowitz, soprano
Christa Ludwig, alt / contralto
Fritz Wunderlich, tenor
Werner Krenn, tenor
Walter Berry, bass
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, baritone
Wiener Singverein
Berliner Philharmoniker
Herbert von Karajan, conductor

Digitally remastered

Please Note: We offer this album in its native sampling rate of 44.1 kHz, 24-bit. The provided 96 kHz version was up-sampled and offers no audible value!

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Fritz Wunderlich
The esteemed German tenor, Fritz Wunderlich, who was born to a violinist mother and choir director father, was no doubt enveloped in music at an early age. Urged to pursue classical voice training by theater people who heard him singing as they passed the bakery where he worked, the young Wunderlich was granted a scholarship to the Freiburg Music Academy in Breisgau by the town fathers. He studied there from 1950 to 1955, also studying the classical horn which explains his almost supernatural breath control.

After playing Tamino in a 1955 student production of W.A. Mozart's Die Zauberflöte, Fritz Wunderlich was engaged by the Wurttemberg State Opera in Stuttgart. His first professional role was as Ulrich Eislinger in Die Meistersinger. When he was called to play Tamino for an ailing Josef Traxel, Stuttgart had a new star and Fritz Wunderlich's short but amazing career had begun.

During the remaining decade of his life Fritz Wunderlich gained the highest respect as a W.A. Mozart singer, lending lyrical brilliance to J.S. Bach, Schubert and Gustav Mahler and melodic tenderness to Bel Canto and light opera roles. Following such greats as Tauber and Schmidt, Wunderlich also devoted a good part of his time to the beautiful songs of such compsers as Strauss, Lehár, Kálmán and Fall. Singing with the Bavarian State Opera and the Vienna State Opera, he also sang every year at the famed Salzburg Festival. After a a highly successful concert tour of the United States in 1964 and engagements at Covent Garden and Edinburgh in 1965, Wunderlich planned his Metropolitan debut as Don Ottavio on October 8, 1966. However, it was not to be. He died September 17, 1966, a week before his 36th birthday in an accidental fall down a stone stairway at a friend's castle in Heidelberg.

Although he never realized his due as a truly international star in his lifetime, Fritz Wunderlich has since become a favorite of opera lovers the world over. One has only to listen to his stunning voice to become a devotee for life. His vocal quality and strength combined with effortless expression and touching lyrical beauty make him one of the truly great tenors of the 20th century and probably of all time.

Booklet for Haydn: The Creation