Fischer Dieskau Schubert Lieder

During a career that spanned nearly five decades, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau established himself as one of the most accomplished performing artists of the twentieth century. He is widely considered to have been the finest modern interpreter of German lieder, and his extensive operatic career was noted for fine musicianship and powerful characterization. He has also made important contributions as an author, conductor, and teacher.

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau was a German lyric baritone and conductor of classical music, one of the most famous Lieder (art song) performers of the post-war period, best known as a singer of Franz Schubert's Lieder, particularly "Winterreise" of which his recordings with accompanist Gerald Moore and Jörg Demus are still critically acclaimed half a century after their release.

This collection of all of Schubert's songs for low voice is one of the landmark recordings of the 20th century because it features two of the greatest Schubertians of their era, baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and pianist Gerald Moore. The recordings, made by Deutsche Grammophon between 1966 and 1972, come from Fischer-Dieskau's prime, when he was in his early to mid-thirties, his voice fully mature and its youthful bloom gloriously resplendent.

"In the typically genial 2 CD collection of Schubert duets, trios and quartets are resurrected golden age stereo analogue recordings made in 1973. These come to 25 works, all piano accompanied. The artists are the elite of the day. The only name unfamiliar to me was the tenor Horst R Laubenthal. No corners are cut with the notes which have been freshly penned by Malcolm Macdonald. On the other hand there are no texts or translations.

One of the most influential of 20th-century artists, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau was not only an incomparable Lieder singer but also widely acclaimed in the world of opera. This 2 DVD set generously documents both achievementsm presenting Fischer-Dieskau in filmed highlights from some of his most memorable stage roles, and, in rare recital footage, performing treasures of German song.

Lied (plural Lieder), is a German word, meaning literally "song"; among English speakers, however, the word is used primarily as a term for European romantic music songs, also known as art songs. More accurately, the term perhaps is best used to describe specifically songs composed to a German poem of reasonably high literary aspirations, most notably during the nineteenth century, beginning with Franz Schubert and culminating with Hugo Wolf...

Franz Schubert: «Schwanengesang» / Johannes Brahms: «Vier ernste Gesänge»
Thomas Quasthoff (Bariton) • Justus Zeyen (Klavier)
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC (tracks): 235 MB | Artwork | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: Deutsche Grammophon # 471 030-2 | Country/Year: Germany 2001
Genre: Classical | Style: Classical Period, Romantic, Vocal

…I studied the Brahms songs in college and found them a bear to sing, particularly the final one, "Wenn ich mit Menschen- und mit Engelszungen redete" ("though I speak with the tongues of men and angels"), with its call for rich, mellow tone at the upper end of the baritone range. So Quasthoff's apparent ease in the most difficult passages impressed me no end, as did, of course, his ability to convey the beauty and power of the texts. In short, at full price, this CD's a bargain.