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I don't know if anyone's familiar with the Edison Awards, the Dutch Grammy so to speak, but one winner is being announced and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau will get a life-achievement award. He was very pleased when he was interviewed for the newsbroadcast. I was surprised to see how old he has turned, but still has those young glinstering eyes. He was talking about Mahler he sang in 1970 with the Concertgebouworkest under Haitink and how heartwarming the audience was. A black and white movie from that performance was shown and I regret it's never released.Shame he won't be singing when receiving the prize Thursday.
Ging heut' morgen ubers Feld,
Rob
one of the greatest lieder singers who ever lived (I don't think
that is an exaggeration)...The (for me) GREATEST accompanist (a really poor term!) I have ever
heard (in person or on recording) Gerald Moore, had this to say
about DFD when he first met him (in his book, now sadly out of
print "Am I Too Loud")...
"...how does it feel, it might be asked, when at my time of life, a quarter of a century Fischer-Dieskau's senior, with my vast experience, to find myself playing fo a man who is able, by his supreme artistry, to make startling revelations to me? Perhaps here it is only fair to myself to say that I am too serious a musician to suffer any hearburning on this account, and the everlasting joy of my profession is that one is always a learner. Age makes no difference, and if anybody can open the door and shed a new light on things I gratefully accept the fresh air and the illumination. I found this with the boy violinist Josef Hassid, and I find it now with Fischer-Dieskau.When Frank Howes wrote of Solomon: "Interpretation as demonstrated at this level is seen as fundamentally the same art as composition-the art of creating music," he might equally have applied the same words to thd genius of this young Berliner.
Concerts with him are inspiring experiences, but to me the supreme thrill is rehearsing with him. At rehearal he is as nervous and transported as an archaeologist bringing a long-hidden treasure to light. His concentration is so intense that he is quite unaware that his hands are twitching with excitement. He greets me with hs cherubic countenance wreathed in smiles, for despite the fierce effort our work requires, mentally and physically, it is anticipated by both of us with keenest pleasure.
This man, Fischer-Dieskau, has taken me deeper into the hearts of Schubert, Schumann, Wolf, and Brahms than I have ever been before..."
What a GLORIUS statement from Moore!
I was very very lucky to have heard FDF and GM in concert in Carnegie Hall twice (I don't remember the exact year, but it may have been somewhere around '67 or '68). I heard Schubert and Beethoven song
recitals. It was during Moore's series of farewell concerts.
The very last song that DFD sang on the last recital was Beethoven's
beautiful 'Ich Liebe Dich". He dedicated it to Gerald Moore. Those
two concerts will live forever in my memory!Thank you DFD for all the joy you have given us. I know that Rob's
and my lives (and many others) wouldn't have been the same without you!in perpetual awe,
Bill
Today I'm going to have a DFD-dedicated day and it'll give me lots of pleasure. A bit of Mozart, Schubert, Wagner and a bit of Mahler to start with and while searching through the pile of vinyl I'm sure I'll find some more.Rob
play some Elly too!!!
BTW: which elly Lieder LPs/CDs do u have?
(and which of DFD's?)Bill
DFD:Mozart:
Die Zauberflote with Bohm (LP)Schubert:
'Nahe des Geliebten'
'Erlkonig'
'Heidenroslein'
'Sei mir gegrusst'
(LP)'Winterreise' with Demus
'Winterreise' with Moore
'Die schone Mullerin' with MooreWagner:
'Der Ring des Nibellungen' with Karajan on CD and LP
'Tristan und Isolde' with Furtwangler on CD and LP
Mahler:
'Das Lied von der Erde' with Bernstein
'Kindertotenlieder' with Bohm
'Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen' with Kubelik
'Ruckert-lieder' with Bohm
'Des Knaben Wunderhorn' with Szell
Mahler 8 with KubelikOrff:
'Carmina Burana' with Jochum (LP)I'm sure there are more, but don't wan't to stroll the LP collection now.
Ameling:
Mozart:
-Das Lied der Trennung
-Als Luise die Briefe ihres ungetreuten Liebhabers verbrannte
-Abendempfindung
-An Chloe
Live with Demus in the Concertgebouw 1969Mahler:
-Das irdische Leben
-Wer hat dies Liedlein erdacht?
Live with Britten in SuffolkMahler 4 with Haitink on CD and LP
And again, there might be a chance I'm forgetting some.
Rob
just kidding!
he really IS the best Papageno, right?Which Winteriesse & Die Schone w/Moore? Angel or the later DGG?
also on Elly, have you ever heard any of her Wolf?
I've got 2 phillips lps w/Dalton Baldwin.She has a great Jauzet Gott & Wedding cantata also.
Allora, back to the mines!
Bill
Both Winterreises on CD, Demus on DG and Moore on EMI, just like 'DsM'.No Wolf in my collection yet, but it'll be DFD in the 'Liederbuche', since it's very fashionable over here to bash anything coming from Holland:-)
Rob
I had opportunity to hear DFD three times in concert in Munich during the 60's. He was accompanied by Guenther Weissenborn on one memorable occasion. I also heard his Mandryka (Strauss Arabella) at the Munich Staatstheater. I share your views on his art. Never heard G. Moore live. The entire time I was in Munich he never appeared there (1960-72).Big B
Hi Big B!
Weren't we lucky??? What did he sing in the recitals you heard?
The 2 i heard he did Wintereisse (!) and all-Beethoven including Adelaide (1 of my favorites) and the An die fenre Geliebte cycle.Wasn't his voice glorious in the 60s?
You're sooooooo lucky to have heard him in Arabella! I never heard
him in opera. How big is the Staatstheater? (lot smaller than
the Met?)I'm surprised Moore wasn't playing for him in Munchen.
Did u like Weissenborn? I'm (my hangup) very critical of accompanists since i used to be one. Just speaking of vocal recitals now,
I've heard a lot of different ones, and Moore was special for me.
He was a true partner... his and FDs ideas were truly integrated,
and they were also aural equals. Did u ever hear Moore's recording
on the unashamed accompanist? Have it on Seraphim. If u don't
have it, i could make a cassette for u. He had such insights into
the songs. He gives a beautiful example of how to play the
different verses (5 ?...i forget) of Das Wandern, 1st song in
Die Schone Mullerin. His playing of each verse is quite different.One thing that is misleading on recordings i've heard (i'm thinking
of the cd now of Wintereisse on DGG). In concert, he and DFD were
true partners in level of sound. You know Moore's thoughts on
Am I Too Loud ?! Most accompanists i've heard have been more accompanist than partner. In songs such as of Schubert, Schumann,
Wolf, Strauss, Brahms etc that does them an injustice.
I've heard many accompanists who played w/full stick (lid all the
way up, for the piano sound). But they then overcompensated by
playing so softly that they robbed the songs of life.BTW: The other singer I've heard who made that much impression on
me for lieder singing was Elly Ameling. I 1st heard her in NYC
at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in '74 (or was it '72?) i forget.
Dalton Baldwin was her pianist. She, like DFD, had an infinite
number of subtleties that made her lieder singing transcendent.Oops...something came up here at work.
Gotta run...but wud like to talk w/u more about all this.regards,
Bill
The Staatsoper seats 2700.Weissenborn was his accompanist on his alltime best recording of Lieder, Schuman songs, available briefly in the US on Decca mono LP. The sessions date from 1955. Remember F-D's career started in the mid 1940's. I also heard him with Demus. No cycles, but Beethoven, Schumann, Wolf, Schubert, some modern stuff.
When mythical figures such as F-D appeared in recital the audience was full of singers. I sat behind Hermann Prey during a Hans Hotter recital, for instance. Quite a musical hotbed.
Big B
fascinating...never heard about that one. Guess from what you said
its no longer available.Your very lucky! Never heard Hotter in person. I tried to hear
Herman Prey twice - here in Wash DC, 2 successive years he cancelled
a concert @ the National Gallery. Then the next year he died...
(was going to sing Wintereisse at the 2nd recital. Someone else
from Canada took his place, sang Wintereisse, but needless to say,
it wasn't memorable.)I have to check the Moore book. I don't remember when Moore began
playing for DFD (whether early 50's or late 40's).
It's a really interesting book...i think i've seen used copies
available.
BTW: if u want, i'd be happy to send you a copy of the Unashamed
Accompanist lp (via cassette). Moore was very entertaining and
very informative.Did u hear many of the vocal recitals while u were in Germany?
I didn't get interested in the voice until I got to Eastman,
and became a studio accompanist. From that time on, I was hooked.
My wife-to-be took me to my 1st opera at the old Met...
Xmas eve, '64, where I saw Sutherland in Lucia. Ran up the stairs
to standing room. (Those stairs in the old Met were endless!)
Joan was glorious!BTW: speaking about Elly Ameling, she was the only one I ever wrote
a letter to after a concert. She came back with a very touching and
beautiful response. Heard her in concert at the U. of Maryland
3 (?) years ago. Although her interpretative power was as strong
as ever, her voice had begun to wear a little.I guess there is nothing in music which I love as much as the voice.
Janet & I also knew personally Federicka von Stade (Flicka). She
went to Mannes College when Janet was going there. Janet's teacher
was also Flicka's, and Mr. Engelberg said about Flicka, there was
really nothing he could teach her when she first came. She was such
a natural singer that she could have studied with anyone and become
great.Oh, I love talking and reminiscing about singing!... perhaps in
another life!Bill
All then great singers came to Munich, and I managed to hear most of them either in opera or in recital.Hotter was powerful inspite of a splayed tone. Heard Prey sing Lieder and do Ariadne. Irmgard Seefried near the end of her career.
Lisa della Casa. Gueden. Wunderlich with full orchestra singing Mozart arias. Frick. Hotter singing his last Dutchman. Stratas, Bergonzi. Helge Roswaenge in his 70's. Geraint Evans doing Falstaff.
Janet Baker. Peter Pears doing the War Requiem. Gedda with orchestra.
Windgassen doing Florestan. I did 2 to three concerts a week as a student. Seats were cheap. Quite an education. Been 30 years now.Big B
Big B, why'd you ever leave???Yup, also back in the early 70s Munich was where it was at.
My wife seriously considered going there to study for a while,
but it was too expensive.Oh for those cheap seats. Used to go to the Metropolitan Museum
of Art for concerts in the early 70s at $5 a throw. Ameling,
Ashkenazy, Argerich, DelaRocha...
now what are they? $75?
Yep, was a lifetime ago, but the memories will never fade, they are
as strong as if it was yesterday.So many glorious concerts at Eastman...Anna Moffo, Oistrakh/Bauer,
Glenn Gould, Leningrad Phil/Mavrinsky, Stravinsky,... as a student,
we could often get in free!oh well! to be a student again...
Bill
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