Notes and Editorial Reviews
Since the 1950s, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau has defined the art of lieder-singing. This 11-CD set brings together his landmark recordings for EMI, among them the song cycles of Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Wolf and Mahler.
...[A] classic performance of Schubert's song cycle Schwanengesang D.957... Through the years, Fischer-Dieskau's view of the cycle also seemed to alter very little, and so you'll find few points of divergence between this account and his 1971 Deutsche Grammophon remake, also with Moore... Both performances are largely without parallel, and indeed any rehearing of this EMI traversal should explain Moore's conviction that Fischer-Dieskau's artistry "takes me deeper into the heart of Schubert than I
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have ever been before."
--Michael Jameson, ClassicsToday [reviewing Schwanengesang,
EMI 67559]
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If we now take a historic perspective on [Fischer-Dieskau's] career we can see and hear that it was in the late 1950s that he came into his full maturity. For about the next ten years tone, vocal command and intelligence were in perfect balace. That is what makes [this issue] so rewarding: indeed, essential for any collector of Lieder... I was delighted to re-encounter and re-assess, one after the other, performances that, with very few exceptions, capture the best in the Fischer-Dieskau/Moore partnership. To expatiate on them at length might spoil a young listener's pleasure in making his own discoveries... [A]s another former reviewer, Philip Hop-Wallace, wrote: these performances "contain so many wonderful touches of the quintessential art of the great Lieder singer that one would use them as models again and again."
-- Gramophone [9/1990, reviewing Fischer-Dieskau singing Schubert,
EMI 63566]
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With his special gifts at word-painting and comprehending a poet's inner meaning, the baritone has always placed Hugo Wolf at the centre of his repertory. I recall the excitement both in these pages and among collectors when the baritone's first recording of the Mörike settings came out... This release came as a revelation... [T]he 1957 performances [of Wolf]...are by and large the ones to have. They are less intellectually concentrated than the later ones, yet are full of all sorts of perceptions in catching the varied worlds of Mörike's vision... [T]he sheer beauty of Im Frühling, the virtuosity of Der Feuerreiter are just [two] of the most telling examples of his art here.
-- Gramophone [9/1990, reviewing Fischer-Dieskau singing Wolf,
EMI 63563]
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Backed by the ever-responsive Wolfgang Sawallisch, Fischer-Dieskau’s traversal [of Mendelssohn songs] is highly attractive. As was his wont, he lavishes all his vocal and textual skill on the material... The light and bouncy Neue Liebe with its nervous piano part is a perfect illustration of the heart-beating fast when love is new. The ubiquitous Auf Flügeln des Gesanges has been inflated, sentimentalized and distorted so many times through the years that it is a relief to hear it sung naturally and with beauty... It is easy to be a little condescending towards Loewe... More often than not though his ballads are engaging, dramatic and flexibly composed to be in fine accord with the texts... Fischer-Dieskau is just cut out for songs like these where he can make use of his vocal resources to maximum effect. Gerald Moore as usual never puts a foot – or rather a finger – wrong.
-- Göran Forsling, MusicWeb International [reviewing the Mendelssohn and Loewe songs,
EMI 91985]
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[Fischer-Dieskau] finds dark eloquence as well as lyric freshness in Grieg’s settings of German texts and both grace and ardour in Liszt; his Uber allen Gipfeln ist Ruh has a magical stillness.
-- Michael Oliver, Gramophone [8/2000, reviewing the Liszt and Grieg songs,
EMI 67349]
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Szell's 1968 Des Knaben Wunderhorn, with Schwarzkopf and Fischer-Dieskau (recorded, like the Resurrection Symphony, in Kingsway Hall) is indispensable. Remembering Szell's justly famous Cleveland recording of the Fourth Symphony (CBS/Sony), it is not surprising that he is equally magnetic here. Try Fischer-Dieskau's very opening number (Revelge), the warmly lilting strings which introduce Schwarzkopf's delightful Rheinlegendchen or the haunting drum beats of Der Tamboursg'sell. Of course, the singing is incomparable, too. Des Knaben Wunderhorn was the first Mahler I ever heard (I think it was an old Vox recording) and, for me, it remains among his greatest music. This disc is fully worthy of it.
-- Ivan March, Gramophone [5/2000, reviewing Des knaben Wunderhorn]
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Works on This Recording
1.
Die schöne Müllerin, D 795/Op. 25 by Franz Schubert
Performer:
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Baritone),
Gerald Moore (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1823; Vienna, Austria
2.
Die Forelle, D 550 by Franz Schubert
Performer:
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Baritone)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1817; Vienna, Austria
4.
Fischerweise, D 881 by Franz Schubert
Performer:
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Baritone)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1826; Vienna, Austria
6.
Der Schiffer, D 536 by Franz Schubert
Performer:
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Baritone)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1817; Vienna, Austria
7.
Winterreise, D 911/Op. 89 by Franz Schubert
Performer:
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Baritone)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1827; Vienna, Austria
8.
Der Winterabend, D 938 by Franz Schubert
Performer:
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Baritone)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1828; Vienna, Austria
9.
Schwanengesang, D 957 by Franz Schubert
Performer:
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Baritone)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1828; Vienna, Austria
11.
Ständchen, D 889 by Franz Schubert
Performer:
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Baritone)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1826; Vienna, Austria
12.
Einsamkeit, D 620 by Franz Schubert
Performer:
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Baritone)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1818; Vienna, Austria
14.
Nacht und Träume, D 827 by Franz Schubert
Performer:
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Baritone)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1823; Vienna, Austria
15.
Rastlose Liebe, D 138/Op 51 by Franz Schubert
Performer:
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Baritone)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1815/1821; Vienna, Austria
16.
Nachtviolen, D 752 by Franz Schubert
Performer:
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Baritone)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1822; Vienna, Austria
17.
Der Einsame, D 800 by Franz Schubert
Performer:
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Baritone)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1825; Vienna, Austria
18.
Auflösung, D 807 by Franz Schubert
Performer:
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Baritone)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1824; Vienna, Austria
21.
An die Musik, D 547 by Franz Schubert
Performer:
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Baritone)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1817; Vienna, Austria
24.
Auf der Bruck, D 853 by Franz Schubert
Performer:
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Baritone)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1825; Vienna, Austria
25.
Der Erlkönig, D 328 by Franz Schubert
Performer:
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Baritone)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1815; Vienna, Austria
26.
Nachtstück, D 672 by Franz Schubert
Performer:
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Baritone)
Period: Romantic
Written: circa 1819; Vienna, Austria
28.
Abendstern, D 806 by Franz Schubert
Performer:
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Baritone)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1824; Vienna, Austria
34.
Seligkeit, D 433 by Franz Schubert
Performer:
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Baritone)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1816; Vienna, Austria
37.
Im Abendrot, D 799 by Franz Schubert
Performer:
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Baritone)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1824-1825; Vienna, Austria
38.
Liederkreis, Op. 39 by Robert Schumann
Performer:
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Baritone)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1840; Germany
40.
Liederkreis, Op. 24 by Robert Schumann
Performer:
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Baritone)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1840; Germany
48.
Belsatzar, Op. 57 by Robert Schumann
Performer:
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Baritone)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1840; Germany
49.
Die schöne Magelone, Op. 33 by Johannes Brahms
Performer:
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Baritone),
Sviatoslav Richter (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1861-1869; Austria
51.
Serious Songs (4), Op. 121 by Johannes Brahms
Performer:
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Baritone)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1896; Austria
52.
Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen by Gustav Mahler
Performer:
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Baritone),
Daniel Barenboim (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1883-1896; Germany
62.
Rückert Lieder (5) by Gustav Mahler
Performer:
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Baritone),
Daniel Barenboim (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1901-1902; Vienna, Austria
79.
Mörike Lieder: no 28, Gebet by Hugo Wolf
Performer:
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Baritone)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1888; Vienna, Austria
96.
Lieder (4), Op. 27 by Richard Strauss
Performer:
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Baritone)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1894; Germany
119.
Tom der Reimer, Op. 135a by Carl Loewe
Performer:
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Baritone)
Period: Romantic
Written: circa 1860; Germany
127.
Der Tannenbaum by Richard Wagner
Performer:
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Baritone)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1838; Germany
132.
Weihnachtslieder (6), Op. 8 by Peter Cornelius
Performer:
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Baritone)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1856/1870; Weimar, Germany
133.
Die schöne Müllerin, D 795/Op. 25: no 2, Wohin? by Franz Schubert
Performer:
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Baritone)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1823; Vienna, Austria
Notes: This selection is followed by an introductory announcement and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau discussing his early life as well as offering comments on Schubert's Winterreise.
134.
Winterreise, D 911/Op. 89: no 1, Gute Nacht by Franz Schubert
Performer:
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Baritone)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1827; Vienna, Austria
Notes: This selection is followed by Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau discussing singing Schubert, some general aspects of singing, and the songs of Grieg.
135.
Songs (6), Op. 48: no 5, Zur Rosenzeit by Edvard Grieg
Performer:
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Baritone)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1889; Norway
Notes: This selection is followed by Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau discussing the music of Wolf.
136.
Mörike Lieder: no 12, Verborgenheit by Hugo Wolf
Performer:
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Baritone)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1888; Vienna, Austria
Notes: This selection is followed by Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau commenting on aspects of the changing musical world of recent times.
137.
Otello: Credo in un Dio crudel by Giuseppe Verdi
Performer:
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Baritone)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1887; Italy
Notes: This selection is followed by Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau commenting on the role of Iago.
138.
Otello: Era la notte by Giuseppe Verdi
Performer:
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Baritone)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1887; Italy
Notes: This selection is followed by Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau commenting on Revelge from Mahler's Des Knaben Wunderhorn Cycle.
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