Throwback Thursday – Two Tenors on Ö1 Radio

The German language is awesome. Who else has a specific word for the day someone dies: "Todestag" is the opposite of Geburtstag (birthday). So they don't observe the anniversary of someone's death, they observe the Deathday. (How very Addams Family!) Why am I even writing about this? Well, Ö1 Radio in Austria is celebrating two celebrated tenors this week. So: 

Alles gute zum Geburtstag, Heldentenor Wolfgang Windgassen *

And

Glücklich Todestag, lyric tenor Anton Dermota** 

  

*This program is all Wagner. As I am writing this, the program hasn’t been broadcast yet. It’s on tonight at 19:30 CET.

**For most of his career, Herr Dermota was known for singing Mozart, Lieder, and operetta, but he occasionally ventured into heldentenor territory; there's an excerpt from Fidelio in this program.

Die Schöne Mullerin Sing-off – Nine Tenors in 90 Minutes

Ernst Haefliger

I really should just keep my virtual radio tuned to Austria's Ö1. This week on Stimme Hören (Hearing Voices), was a tenor-all-star version of Die Schöne Mullerin, featuring tenors historic and current: from Ernst Haefliger and Aksel Schiotz to Werner Güra and Jonas Kaufmann. It's a Lieder-nerd's paradise!

I guess they figured every good Austrian knows Fritz Wunderlich’s performances by heart, since they refer to him but don't actually play any of his recordings. 

(For an archived recording of this broadcast, click here.)