Album

Part of Audite's four-volume edition celebrating the 85th birthday of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau with recordings of radio broadcast recitals by the great German baritone, this disc includes three superb if disparate performances. The two earliest sets come from the early '50s, Beethoven's Six Gellert Lieder from 1951 and three songs from Mahler's Des Knaben Wunderhorn from 1953, while the final set comes from 1977 and features Fischer-Dieskau and his wife, soprano Julia Varady, in a series of duets by Schumann. In the early recordings, Fischer-Dieskau is in superb form, his tone warm, his technique agile, his voice smoothly balanced from top to bottom, and his interpretations incredibly intense, particularly in the Gellert Lieder and especially in "Vom Tode." His voice is a bit past its peak in the later recordings, but his musicality and sensitivity were never greater and he seems to be having a grand time singing about life and love with his wife. Ably accompanied by Hertha Klust in the 1950s and by Cord Garben in the 1970s, these performances are sure to delight Fischer-Dieskau's many fans around the globe, though the dimness of the 1950s recordings is a drawback.

© James Leonard, Rovi

CD 1
Robert Alexander Schumann Composer Spanisches Liederspiel, Op.74 Work Recorded 1977 Julia Varady Soprano, Cord Garben Piano, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau Baritone
1	4.In der Nacht, for soprano and tenor	5:05			$0.99
Robert Alexander Schumann Composer Minnespiel, Op.101 (Rückert) Work Recorded 1977 Julia Varady Soprano, Cord Garben Piano, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau Baritone
2	7.Die tausend Grüsse, for soprano and tenor	1:40			$0.99
Robert Alexander Schumann Composer 12 Gedichte aus F. Rückerts 'Liebesfrühling' (Nos.2, 4 and 11 by Clara Schumann), Op.37 Work Recorded 1977 2:57 Julia Varady Soprano, Cord Garben Piano, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau Baritone
3	7.Schön, ist das Fest des Lenzes, for soprano and tenor	0:57			$0.99
4	12.So wahr die Sonne scheinet, for soprano and tenor	2:00			$0.99
Robert Alexander Schumann Composer 4 Duette, Op.34 Work Recorded 1977 12:35 Julia Varady Soprano, Cord Garben Piano, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau Baritone
5	1.Liebesgarten	3:48			$0.99
6	2.Liebhabers Ständchen	2:17			$0.99
7	3.Unter'm Fenster	1:50			$0.99
8	4.Familien-Gemälde	4:40			$0.99
Robert Alexander Schumann Composer 4 Duette, for soprano, tenor and piano, Op.78 Work Recorded 1977 10:31 Julia Varady Soprano, Cord Garben Piano, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau Baritone
9	1.Tanzlied	2:48			$0.99
10	2.Er und Sie	3:08			$0.99
11	3.Ich denke dein	2:30			$0.99
12	4.Wiegenlied	2:05			$0.99
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer 6 Songs, Op.48 (text by Gellert) Work Recorded 1951 14:19 Hertha Klust Piano, Julia Varady Soprano, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau Baritone
13	1.Bitten	2:01			$0.99
14	5.Gottes Macht und Vorsehung	0:46			$0.99
15	3.Vom Tode	1:18			$0.99
16	3.Vom Tode	2:21			$0.99
17	4.Die Ehre Gottes aus der Natur ('The Worship of God in Nature')	2:36			$0.99
18	6.Bußlied	5:17			$0.99
Gustav Mahler Composer Des Knaben Wunderhorn (song cycle) Work Recorded 1953 10:16 Hertha Klust Piano, Julia Varady Soprano, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau Baritone
19	5.Das irdische Leben	3:00			$0.99
20	6.Des Antonius von Padua Fischpredigt	4:24			$0.99
21	10.Lob des hohen Verstandes	2:52			$0.99