A varied selection of the great F-D’s work during his career’s early years
by Alan Blyth GRAMMOPHONE
If some virgin ear drawn to inspired singing were to ask why that protean artist Fischer-Dieskau was considered such a genius, I would at once point him towards the second CD of this nine-disc survey of his early career. Most specifically I would direct him to the selection of Wolf’s Italian Songbook recorded when Fischer-Dieskau was only 24, with an early mentor, Hertha Klust, at the piano. Here are some of the greatest love songs ever written delivered with a technical command, beauty of tone and spontaneous passion that left even this old reviewer deeply moved and exhilarated. To be sure, the baritone returned to this repertory on disc several times but never with quite this direct effect. Here, too, is his early recording of Brahms’s Four Serious Songs (reviewed on a separate issue last month), a reading that has the same immediacy as the Wolf in a very different context.
Then, showing the singer in quite another context on the same disc, we find him as Ford in 1951 encountering Falstaff, albeit in German, in their Act 2 duet from Verdi’s opera, with Josef Metternich, then a leading interpreter of Italian opera in Germany, as a characterful Fat Knight. F-D sings Ford’s monologue with an overwhelming bitterness. The final item on this disc, from 1949, has elating extracts from Carmina Burana. At once we have a picture of the man’s extraordinary range of repertory and voice.
The latter two items have Ferenc Fricsay as conductor, such a notable influence on the singer’s career during this early period. Indeed, on disc seven, in a later (1961) recording we have Fricsay and his Berlin Radio Symphony, now in stereo, giving F-D magnificent support in arias from the French and Italian repertory. William Tell’s advice to his son just before the apple-shooting and Tonio’s Prologue from Pagliacci evince the baritone’s faultless Italian, Valentin’s Invocation from Faust among others his admirable French. To say, as many have done, that the artist wasn’t quite idiomatic in either area is rather to miss the point: take him on his own terms, while putting aside your favourite French and Italian singers, and you hear an interpreter who has thought himself, in his own highly individual way, into the required style.
His alliance with Fricsay is much less happily represented by their complete recording of Gluck’s Orfeo of 1956. This is stylistically anachronistic and heavily Germanic (the opera is given in German) and only the ever-delightful Rita Streich as Amor lightens the mood. On the other hand, the five arias Fischer-Dieskau recorded with Karl Böhm from Handel’s Giulio Cesare (1960) in Italian are surprisingly convincing. Of course taking the music an octave down has its drawbacks but Fischer-Dieskau obviates them by his stylistically correct and inward performances.Another interesting disc is the one devoted by the singer to new music of his time. This includes Henze’s beguiling Five Neapolitan Songs, Fortner’s rather uninviting cycle The Creation to English texts by James Weldon Johnson, and – most welcome – Frank Martin’s Six Monologues from Jedermann and two of Prospero’s solos from The Tempest, great settings by any standard. All are, predictably, given intense advocacy by Fischer-Dieskau. But – and it is a huge drawback – DG has made the incomprehensible decision to exclude texts and translations, debilitating here and throughout, not least in the final disc, where Fischer-Dieskau talks about his life and work in a 1960 interview.
Last but very much not least is a heap of Lieder, other than the Wolf already referred to. We have the singer’s early researches into songs by many little-known composers, his unearthing of Meyerbeer Lieder and much else. These supplement his Schumann, including the Dichterliebe with Demus, already on ‘An die Musik’ (DG, 6/05), a lovely account of the Kerner Lieder with Günther Weissenborn from 1957, and Brahms’s Die schöne Magelone with Demus again in the same year, making an interesting comparison with the baritone’s later recording with Richter from the 1970s.
This highly eclectic archival programme will be wanted by anyone with a interest in the singer’s early career. The choice has been made with his full acquiescence. One must only regret that absence of the words.
Italienisches Liederbuch (Books 1 & 2), for voice & piano
5 4. Gesegnet sei, durch den die Welt entstund 01:54
6 5. Selig ihr Blinden 02:11
7 7. Der Mond hat eine schwere Klag' erhoben 02:33
8 8. Nun lass uns Frieden schließen 02:10
9 13. Hoffärtig seid Ihr, schönes Kind 00:45
10 14. Geselle, woll'n wir uns in Kutten hüllen 02:23
11 17. Und willst du deinen Liebsten sterben sehen 02:08
12 18. Heb auf dein blondes Haupt 02:15
13 22. Ein Ständchen euch zu bringen 01:19
14 23. Was für ein Lied 02:11
15 33. Sterb' ich, so hüllt in Blumen 02:58
16 34. Und steht ihr früh am Morgen auf 03:10
17 35. Benedeit die sel'ge Mutter 04:24
18 37. Wie viele Zeit verlor ich 01:43
19 41. Heut' Nacht erhob ich mich 01:45
20 42. Nicht länger kann ich singen 01:31
GIUSEPPE VERDI (1813–1901)
Falstaff, opera
21 "Brav, alter Hans" ("Va', vecchio John", Act 2, Part 1) 17:52
CARL ORFF (1895–1982)
Carmina Burana, scenic cantata for soloists, choruses & orchestra
22 Ego sum abbas 01:39
23 Estuans interius 02:13
24 Tempus est iocundum 02:18
Disc THREE:
ROBERT SCHUMANN (1810–1856)
Dichterliebe, song cycle for voice & piano, Op. 48
1 1. Im wunderschönen Monat Mai 01:38
2 2. Aus meinen Tränen sprießen 00:59
3 3. Die Rose, die Lillie, die Taube, die Sonne 00:30
4 4. Wenn ich in deine Augen seh' 01:40
5 5. Ich will meine Seele tauchen 01:00
6 6. Im Rhein, im heiligen Strome 02:29
7 7. Ich grolle nicht 01:43
8 8. Und wüssten's die Blumen, die kleinen 01:12
9 9. Das ist ein Flöten und Geigen 01:23
10 10. Hör'ich das Liedchen klingen 01:51
11 11. Ein Jüngling liebt ein Mädchen 01:03
12 12. Am leuchtenden Sommermorgen 02:19
13 13. Ich hab' im Traum geweinet 02:35
14 14. Allnächtlich im Traume seh' ich dich 01:43
15 15. Aus alten Märchen winkt es 02:31
16 16. Die alten bösen Lieder 04:50
17 Freisinn ("Lasst mich nur auf meinem Sattel gelten!"),
song for voice & piano (Myrthen), Op. 25/2 01:12
18 Schneeglöckchen ("Der Schnee, der gestern noch in Flökchen")
song for voice & piano (Lieder-Album für die Jugend), Op. 79/26 01:23
19 Ständchen ("Komm' in die stille Nacht ..."),
song for voice & piano, Op. 36/2 01:39
20 Venetianische Lied I ("Leis' rudern hin"),
song for voice & piano (Myrthen), Op. 25/17 01:27
21 Venetianische Lied II ("Wenn durch die Piazzetta die Abendluft weht"),
song for voice & piano (Myrthen), Op. 25/18 01:34
22 Des Sennen Abschied ("Ihr Matten lebt wohl! Ihr sonnigen Weiden!"),
song for voice & piano (Lieder-Album für die Jugend), Op. 79/22 01:43
23 Talismane ("Gottes ist der Orient"),
song for voice & piano (Myrthen), Op. 25/8 02:11
Songs (12) for voice & piano, Op. 35
24 1. Lust der Sturmnacht 01:46
25 2. Stirb, Lieb' und Freud'! 06:03
26 3. Wanderlied 03:00
27 4. Erstes Grün 02:24
28 5. Sehnsucht nach der Waldgegend 02:28
29 6. Auf das Trinkglas eines verstorbenen Freundes 04:34
30 7. Wanderung 01:16
31 8. Stille Liebe 03:23
32 9. Frage 01:22
33 10. Stille Tränen 03:55
34 11. Wer machte dich so krank? 02:16
35 12. Alte Laute 02:48
Disc FOUR:
JOHANNES BRAHMS (1833–1897)
Romances (15) from Tieck's "Die schöne Magelone" for voice & piano, Op. 33
1 1. Keinen hat es noch gereut 03:36
2 2. Traun! Bogen und Pfeil sind gut 01:44
3 3. Sind es Schmerzen, sind es Freuden 05:35
4 4. Liebe kam aus fernen Landen 04:37
5 5. So willst du ds Armen dich gnädig erbarmen? 01:34
6 6. Wie soll ich die Freude, die Wonne denn tragen? 05:49
7 7. War es dir, dem diese Lippen bebten? 03:01
8 8. Wir müssen uns trennen, geliebtes Saitenspiel 04:00
9 9. Ruhe, Süßliebchen 05:32
10 10. So tönet denn, schäumende Wellen 02:34
11 11. Wie schnell verschwindet so Licht als Glanz 04:00
12 12. Muss es eine Trennung geben 03:22
13 13. Geliebter, wo zaudert dein irrender Fuß 01:59
14 14. Wie froh und frisch mein Sinn sich hebt 02:32
15 15. Treue Liebe dauert lange 05:21
16 Sommerabend ("Dämmernd liegt der Sommerabend"), song for voice & piano, Op. 85/1 02:42
17 Mondenschein ("Nacht liegt auf dem fremden Wegen"), song for voice & piano, Op. 85/2 02:22
18 Es liebt sich so lieblich im Lenze! ("Die Wellen blinken"), song for voice & piano, Op. 71/1 01:48
19 Meerfahrt ("Mein Liebchen, wir sassen beisammen"), song for voice & piano, Op. 96/4 03:00
20 Es schauen die blumen, song for voice & piano, Op. 96/3 01:00
21 Der Tod, das ist die kühle Nacht, song for voice & piano, Op. 96/1 03:28
Disc FIVE:
HANS WERNER HENZE (1926–2012)
Neapolitan Lieder (5), for baritone & small orchestra
1 1. Aggio saputo ca la morte vene 01:54
2 2. A l'acqua de li ffuntanelle 03:29
3 3. Amaie 'na nenne pe' tridece mise 01:02
4 4. Amaie 'nu ninno cu' sudore e stiente 06:04
5 5. Arbero piccerillo, te chantaie 04:04
WOLFGANG FORTNER (1907–1987)
The Creation, for medium voice & orchestra
6 And God stepped out on space 03:03
7 Then God reached out 01:48
8 Then God himself stepped down 02:05
9 And He spat out the seven seas 00:53
10 Then the green grass sprouted 01:59
11 Then God walked around 02:39
12 Up from the bed of the river 02:00
13 Amen isorhythmique 03:01
FRANK MARTIN (1890–1974)
Monologes (6) aus Jedermann, for alto (or baritone) & piano (or orchestra)
14 1. Ist alls zu End das Freudenmahl 04:13
15 2. Ach Gott, wie graust mir vor dem Tod 03:47
16 3. ist als wenn eins gerufen hätt 02:49
17 4. So wollt ich ganz zernichtet sein 02:20
18 5. Ja! Ich glaub: solches hat er Vollbracht 03:01
19 6. O ewiger Gott! O göttliches Gesicht! 04:47
Der Sturm, excerpts (3) from the opera for baritone & orchestra
20 Overture 08:14
21 Mein Ariel! 08:18
22 Hin sind meine Zauberei'n 05:00
Disc SIX:
CHRISTOPH WILLIBALD GLUCK (1714–1787)
Orfeo ed Euridice (Italian version), opera in 3 acts, Wq. 30
- Orfeo - Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
- Euridice - Elisabeth Söderström
- Amor - Ruth-Margret Pütz
Ferdinand Leitner, condutor
Cappella Coloniensis
Kölner Rundfunkchor
1 Overture 03:13
2 Act 1. Scene 1. No. 1 Chorus "O wenn in diesen dunklen Hainen" 03:58
3 Act 1. Scene 1. No. 2 Recitative "O Freunde, dieses Klagen" 00:42
4 Act 1. Scene 1. No. 3 Pantomime 02:40
5 Act 1. Scene 1. No. 4 Chorus "O wenn in diesen dunklen Hainen" 01:43
6 Act 1. Scene 1. No. 5 Recitative: "Lasst mich allein!" 00:36
7 Act 1. Scene 1. No. 6 Ritornello 01:31
8 Act 1. Scene 2. No. 7 Aria "So klag ich ihren Tod" 01:19
9 Act 1. Scene 2. No. 8 Recitative: "Eurydike, teurer Schatten!" 01:49
10 Act 1. Scene 2. No. 9 Aria "Wehklagend irr ich so" 01:24
11 Act 1. Scene 2. No. 10 Recitative "Eurydike, dein süßer Name" 02:01
12 Act 1. Scene 2. No. 11 Aria "Weinend gedenk ich dein" 01:27
13 Act 1. Scene 2. No. 12 Recitative "Grausame Götter" 01:40
14 Act 1. Scene 2. No. 13 Aria "Deines Saitenspiels Harmonien" 01:15
15 Act 1. Scene 2. No. 14 Recitative "Wie, ich soll sie wiedersehn!" 01:00
16 Act 1. Scene 2. No. 15 Aria "Mit freuden den Willen der Götter erfüllen" 01:56
17 Act 1. Scene 2. No. 16 Recitative "Was hör' ich? Ist es wahr?" 02:18
18 Act 1. Scene 2. No. 18 Dance of the Furies Tanz der Ferien 01:33
19 Act 1. Scene 2. No. 19 Chorus "Wer ist der Sterbliche" 00:35
20 Act 2. No. 20 Dance of the Furies 00:40
21 Act 2. No. 21 Chorus "Wer ist der Sterbliche" 01:13
22 Act 2. No. 22 Solo and Chorus "Ach, erbarmt euch mein" 01:48
23 Act 2. No. 23 Chorus "Jammernder Sterblicher" 00:54
24 Act 2. No. 24 Aria "Tausend Qualen, drohende Schatten" 00:39
25 Act 2. No. 25 Chorus "Welch ungewohnter Trieb" 00:47
26 Act 2. No. 26 Aria "Todesgötter, höret gnädig" 00:45
27 Act 2. No. 27 Chorus "Sein sanftes Trauerlied" 01:18
28 Act 2. No. 28 Dance of the Furies 04:20
29 Act 2. No. 29 Ballet 02:51
30 Act 2. No. 30 Ballet 04:24
31 Act 2. No. 32 Aria and Chorus "Diese Auen sind seligem Frieden" 05:06
32 Act 2. No. 32 Aria and Chorus "Diese Auen sind seligem Frieden" 04:28
33 Act 2. No. 34 Chorus: "Komm ins Reich beglückter Schatten" 02:25
34 Act 2. No. 36 Recitative and Chorus "O sel'ge, beglückte Schatten" 00:50
35 Act 2. No. 37 Chorus "Aus dem Reich beglückter Schatten" 03:15
Disc SEVEN:
Orfeo ed Euridice (Italian version), opera in 3 acts, Wq. 30
1 Act 3. No. 38 Recitative "So komm, Eurydike, folge mir" 03:20
2 Act 3. No. 39 Duet "Komm und vertrau meiner Treue" 03:45
3 Act 3. No. 40 Recitative "Ach, warum bleibet er" 01:21
4 Act 3. No. 41 Aria and Duet "Welch grausame Wandlung" 03:03
5 Act 3. No. 42 Recitative "Ach, nun erneut sich mein Jammer!" 03:03
6 Act 3. No. 43 Aria "Ach, ich habe sie verloren" 04:21
7 Act 3. No. 44 Recitative "So mag der tiefe Schmerz mit meinem Leben enden" 02:59
8 Act 3. No. 45 Chorus and Solos "Triumph sei Amor" 03:31
GEORGES BIZET (1838–1875)
Carmen, opera
9 Act 2, Scene 2: Couplet: "Votre toast, je peux vous le rendre" - "Toréador, en garde" 04:30
CHARLES GOUNOD (1818–1893)
Faust, opera
10 Act 2. Invocation: "Avant de quitter ces lieux" 03:48
GEORGES BIZET (1838–1875)
Les Pêcheurs de perles, opera in 3 acts
11 Act 3. Scene 1: Recitative and Aria:
"L'orage s'est calmé" - "Ô Nadir, tendre ami de mon jeune âge" 06:38
GIOACHINO ROSSINI (1792–1868)
Guillaume Tell, opera
12 Act 3, Scene 3: Aria: "Resta immobile" 03:09
GIUSEPPE VERDI (1813–1901)
La forza del destino, opera
13 Act 3, Scene 2: Scena and Aria:
"Morir! Tremenda cosa!" - "Urna fatale del mio destino" 08:00
La Traviata, opera
14 Act 2, Scene 7: Aria: "di Provenza il mar" 04:44
UMBERTO GIORDANO (1867–1948)
Andrea Chénier, opera
15 Act 3: Recitative and Aria: "Nemico della patria?!" - "Un di m'era di gioia" 05:17
RUGGERO LEONCAVALLO (1857–1919)
Pagliacci, opera
16 Prologue: "Si può? Signore!" 08:08
Disc EIGHT:
GIACOMO MEYERBEER (1791–1864)
1 Menschenfeindlich, song for voice & piano 02:19
2 Hör' ich das Liedchen klingen (De ma première amie), song for voice & piano 01:01
3 Die Rose, die Lilie, die Taube, die Sonne, song for voice & piano 02:21
4 Komm du schönes Fischermädchen (Guide au bord), song for voice & piano 02:02
5 Der Garten des Herzens, song for voice & piano 00:53
6 Le Poète mourant, elegy for voice & piano 08:35
7 Ständchen, song for voice & piano 03:25
8 Die Rosenblätter, song for voice & piano 01:19
9 Sonntagslied, song for voice & piano 05:33
10 Sie und ich, song for voice & piano 02:47
11 Sicilienne, song for voice & piano 03:48
12 Cantique du trappiste, song for voice & piano 06:24
13 Scirocco, song for voice & piano 01:30
14 Lied des venezianischen Gondoliers, song for voice & piano ("Mina") 01:52
JOHANN FRIEDRICH REICHARDT (1752–1814)
15 Gott for voice & piano/harp 02:33
16 Beherzigung ("Feiger Gedanken"), song for voice & piano 01:03
17 Die schöne Nacht for voice & piano/harp 02:10
Alexis und Dora for voice & piano/harp
18 Einziger Augenblick 01:50
19 Einschränkung, song for voice & piano 01:34
20 Mut ("Sorglos überdie Fläche weg"), song for voice & piano 00:45
21 Harzreise im Winter for voice & piano/harp 02:34
22 An Lotte, song for voice & piano 01:44
23 Euphrosyne for voice & piano/harp 03:09
CARL FRIEDRICH ZELTER (1758–1832)
24 Rastlose Liebe for voice & piano 02:00
25 Um Mitternacht, for voice & piano 03:27
26 Gleich und gleich, for voice & piano 01:42
27 Wo geht's Liebchen, for voice & piano ("Mailied") 01:25
ANNA AMALIA VON SACHSEN-WEIMAR (1739–1807)
28 Auf dem Land und in der Stadt, for voice & piano 01:56
ANNA AMELIA VON PREUSSEN (1723–1787)
29 Sie scheinen zu spielen, song for voice & piano 01:38
KARL SIEGMUND VON SECKENDORFF (1744–1785)
30 Romanze, song for voice & piano 04:09
CHRISTIAN GOTTLOB NEEFE (1748–1798)
31 Serenade, song for voice & piano 01:15
Disc NINE:
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770–1827)
1 Mit Mädeln sich vertragen, aria for bass & orchestra WoO 90 02:58
CONRADIN KREUTZER (1780–1849)
2 Ein Bettler vor dem Tor, for voice & piano 01:27
JOHANN NEPOMUK HUMMEL (1778–1837)
3 Zur Logenfeier, song for voice & piano ("Zwischengesang") 01:50
BETTINA BRENTANO (1785–1859)
4 Aus Faust, song for voice & piano 01:11
RICHARD WAGNER (1813–1883)
Seven Compositions on Goethe's Faust (1831) for voice & piano, WWV 15 (Op. 5)
5 Lied des Mephistopheles 00:44
6 Branders Lied 01:29
JOHANN FRIEDRICH REICHARDT (1752–1814)
Sonnets by Francesco Petrarca
7 Canzon, s'al dolce loco la donna nostra vedi 01:22
8 Erano i capei d'oro 01:22
9 O poggi, o valli, o fiume, o selve, o campi 01:26
10 Più volte già dal bel sembiante umano 01:24
11 Di tempo in tempo mi si fa men dura 01:51
12 Or ch 'l ciel e la terra, e 'l vento tace 04:27
A life retold (Interview and Memoir: Spoken)
13 Childhood and Adolescene 10:58
14 First Steps in Cantata, Lied and Opera 13:38
15 Singing for Wilhelm Furtwängler 09:22
16 Programming Lieder Recitals 04:07
17 Opera Appearances in the 1950's 04:10
18 Accompanists and Othmar Schoeck 05:19
19 Contemporary Music and the Stage 05:42
20 The Horizons and Responsibilities of the Performing Artist 06:12
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
baritone
accompanied by
Karl Engel • Hertha Klust • Jörg Demus • Gunther Weissenborn piano
Josef Metternich • Cornelis van Dijk • Maria Stader • Rita Streich
Wolfgang Sebastian Meyer harpsichord • Maria Jung organ
Berliner Philharmoniler: Richard Kraus, Martin • Kammerorchester Karl Ristenpart: Ristenpart
Radio-Cymphonie-Orchester, Berlin: Böhm • RIAS-Symphonie-Orchester, Berlin: Fricsay
Sinfonie-Orchester des norddeutschen rundfunks: Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt
and others