The Very Best of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau - The Very Best of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau

The Very Best of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
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CD Details

Artist: Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
Edition: Music CD
CD Release Date: 2003-04-22
Music Label: EMI Classics
Soundtracks:
Music CD 1
  1. Die schöne Müllerin, song cycle, for voice & piano, D. 795 (Op. 25): Das Wandern
  2. Die schöne Müllerin, song cycle, for voice & piano, D. 795 (Op. 25): Wohin?
  3. Die schöne Müllerin, song cycle, for voice & piano, D. 795 (Op. 25): Halt!
  4. Die schöne Müllerin, song cycle, for voice & piano, D. 795 (Op. 25): Danksagung an den Bach
  5. Die schöne Müllerin, song cycle, for voice & piano, D. 795 (Op. 25): Ungeduld
  6. Das Lied im Grünen ('Ins Grüne...'), song for voice & piano, D. 917 (Op. posth. 115/1)
  7. Der Tod und das Mädchen ('Vorüber, ach vorüber'), song for voice & piano, D. 531 (Op. 7/3)
  8. Heidenröslein ('Sah ein Knab...'), song for voice & piano, D. 257 (Op. 3/3)
  9. Die Forelle ('In einem Bächlein helle'), song for voice & piano, D. 550 (Op. 32)
  10. Ständchen ('Leise flehen meine Lieder'), song for voice & piano (Schwanengesang), D. 957/4
  11. Du bist die Ruh, song for voice & piano, D. 776 (Op. 59/3)
  12. Erlkönig ('Wer reitet so spät'), song for voice & piano, D. 328 (Op. 1)
  13. Winterreise, song cycle for voice & piano, D. 911 (Op. 89): Gute Nacht
  14. Winterreise, song cycle for voice & piano, D. 911 (Op. 89): Die Post
  15. Von ewiger Liebe ('Dunkel, wie dunkel in Wald und in Feld!'), song for voice & piano, Op. 43/1
  16. Die Mainacht ('Wann der silberne Mond'), song for voice & piano, Op. 43/2
  17. Wiegenlied ('Guten Abend, gut Nacht'), song for voice & piano, Op. 49/4
  18. Auch kleine Dinge, song for voice & piano (Italienisches Liederbuch)
  19. Fussreise ('Am frischgeschnittnen Wanderstab'), song for voice & piano (Mörike Lieder)
  20. Gebet ('Herr! schicke was du willt'), song for voice & piano (Mörike Lieder)
  21. Der Gärtner ('Auf ihrem Leibrösslein'), song for voice & piano (Mörike Lieder)
  22. Lebe wohl ('Lebe wohl! Du fühlest nicht'), song for voice & piano (Mörike Lieder)
  23. Morgen ('Und morgen wird die Sonne wieder scheinen'), song for voice & piano (or orchestra), Op. 27/4 (TrV 170/4)
  24. Freundliche Vision ('Nicht im Schlafe hab' ich das geträumt'), song for voice & piano (or orchestra), Op. 48/1 (TrV 202/1)
  25. Mit deinen blauen Augen, song for voice & piano, Op. 56/4 (TrV 220/4)
  26. Des Antonius von Padua Fischpredigt, song for voice & piano (or orchestra) in C minor (Des Knaben Wunderhorn No. 6)
Music CD 2
  1. Weihnachtsoratorium (Christmas Oratorio), in six parts, BWV 248 (BC D7): Grosser Herr, o starker König
  2. Weihnachtsoratorium (Christmas Oratorio), in six parts, BWV 248 (BC D7): Erleucht' auch meine finstre Sinnen
  3. Rinaldo, opera, HWV 7: Act I. Cara sposa, amante cara
  4. Der fliegende Holländer (The Flying Dutchman), opera, WWV 63: Act I. Die Frist ist um
  5. Die Walküre (The Valkyrie), opera, WWV 86b: Act III. Wotans Abschied. Leb' wohl
  6. Il Trovatore, opera: Act III. Il balen del suo sorriso
  7. Rigoletto, opera: Act II. Il balen del suo sorriso
  8. Don Carlo, opera: Act III. Per me giunto �¨ il d�¬ supremo
  9. Un ballo in maschera, opera: Act III. Alzati!...Eri tu
  10. Otello, opera: Act II. Vanne...Credo in un dio crudel
  11. Otello, opera: Act II. Era la notte...Sì, pel ciel

Music reviews of The Very Best of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau

Music Review: A Fine Collection
Rating: 5 Stars

I think it best to take two things from this very full two CD set to demonstrate the incredible artistry and longevity of this rare vocal artist. Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau may not be to everyone's taste as either a lieder singer or an operatic baritone. But somewhere within the vocal repertoire there will be a role that will probably satisfy nearly every listener. I like most of his interpretations, although they spawned a huge number of imitators during his heyday. He sings lieder with a maximum of color, as displayed by piece one: "Erlkönig". This is certainly one of Schubert's top ten "hits" and has been given readings by singers such as Victoria de los Angeles, (chilling) Lotte Lehmann (stunning), Hans Hotter (gigantic/light), Alexander Kipnis (gigantic/dark) and of course the artist in question, Fischer-Dieskau whose interpretation is fully text dependent. This recording may come from 1951, and sounds its age in some ways. Thank goodness, though, EMI left this alone as far as adding any sort of reverberation to the original. While "vintage" certainly describes the sound, accurate does too when it comes to the many colors that the German baritone is able to find within the song's few short lines. While not as blazing as the bigger voiced versions, this interpretation has no real equal in creating the four characters of the narrator, the child, the father and the dreaded Erlkönig. I imagine critics of that era, upon first hearing this "crooning" style in light passages, disparaged the entire approach as being everything from tasteless to fraudulent. However, a huge worldwide audience would soon take exception to such criticism and the man became among the most recorded artists of any era. Fischer-Dieskau is a complete artist. I mean by that, everything in the singer's arsenal is put on the table. If the music says "piano" you get a REAL "piano". This goes right to the crux of the argument, which is that Fischer-Dieskau used falsetto for light, high lying passages. I'm not saying he doesn't, especially in this early version of ""Erlkönig". He barely touches on some of the child's notes, but then isn't that the point of the exercise?? The ends justify the means almost always with this singer. But volume is just the tip of the iceberg. In fact, he is capable of turning on a huge sound when he wants to. The question will always be, "when is that?" This brings me to excerpt two:

Wotan's Farewell, "Leb' Wohl", from Wagner's "Die Walküre" will surely raise an eyebrow or two from anyone just looking at what's to be found on the second CD. There is a full group of arias from Bach and Handel to Wagner and Verdi. But the Farewell is something that I never thought I would hear this singer attempt. He does so late in his career, no fool he. This recording comes from 1978 and is paired with "Die Frist ist Um" from `Der Fliegende Holländer". Both feature the Bayrischen Rundfunks conducted by the great maestro Rafael Kubelik. The conductor and singer are on a perfectly synchronized wave length when it comes to Wotan's twelve minute final scene. What is amazing to me is the rhythm and dynamics that both employ as the early phrases rise to a climax via a series of sequences. I know of no other singer who does this so well. I think it is safe to say that rhythm above all else is Fischer-Dieskau's strongest natural art. I know of others whom I like better in the part of Wotan, for sure. Hans Hotter would certainly be the first in that catagory. But even he cannot match the constant and measured give and take in volume that Fischer-Dieskau displays. While this may not be the Wotan one ultimately has in ones mind as ideal, this interpretation illustrates that the baritone is always able to make sense of what is in front of him. (There is one exception to this rule. That is French music. Fischer-Dieskau does none on this compilation and those few recordings of French oddities he did release expose an inability to master the liason of nasality and open sounds that is the essence of the language.)

I would finally add that the only other singer with this sort of lieder/opera versatility in the German wing would be Hans Hotter. (Hermann Prey is certainly a contender, but he never sang any heavy Wagner roles to my knowledge.) The difference between the Fischer-Dieskau and Hotter, however, is that of apples and oranges. The lighter baritone has a "mixed voice" that he must "open up" in order to make his operatic singing viable. With Hans Hotter just the opposite is true. The bass-baritone must reign in a gigantic sound and find the lightness of speech in his lieder singing. Is one better than the other? Well, that's a question I have finally chosen not to ask of these two artists. The reason is obvious; the answer will always be yes and no, or if you will no and yes.



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