Lunge da lei

Live in München, at the Bayerische Staatsoper (Bavarian State Opera) 1965. Fritz Wunderlich sings Alfredo in Italian!
Most of the highlights from this performance (with Stratas as Violetta and Prey as Germont) have been posted already so I won't bother with them. But the Act 2 aria as sung by Fritz is nothing short of sensational. This role is really rather silly for the tenor, and quite trivial to sing (for a professional tenor that is). Tenors don't become international stars singing Alfredo. But Wunderlich works magic with this seemingly simple role.
It's hard not to like Wunderlich. His voice is excellent, he sings with genuine passion and soul, his legato and diction are simultaneously perfect (!), his phrasing is poetic and musical, and he has virtually no mannerisms. Really the 'ideal lyric tenor' for me. Of non Italian lyrics only Bjorling is really in his league.

I can't post the cabaletta with the high C because he never sang it. Why he skipped it is a mystery to me, but apparently it was common to do so at the time.