The music world suffered a tremendous loss when, on Sept. 17, 1966, Fritz Wunderlich died in a freak accident. He was visiting a friend’s castle, when he slipped on a stone staircase. The tenor was just 35 years old and was scheduled to make his debut as Don Ottavio in “Don Giovanni” at the Metropolitan Opera the following month.
During his 10-year career, Wunderlich had established himself as the leading Mozart tenor of his generation and was on his way to international stardom. Fortunately, he made many recordings, and two collections have been issued in connection with the 50th anniversary of his death that demonstrate the range of his artistry.
“Fritz Wunderlich: The 50 Greatest Tracks” is a compilation on
Deutsche Grammophon
