Sunday, 25 May 2025

Fischer-Dieskau centenary

 A big musical centenary today – 100 years ago Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, who became one of the greatest singers of the 20th century, was born, in Berlin. He had barely begun his musical studies when he was drafted into the Wehrmacht and obliged to tend horses on the Russian front, after which he was sent to Italy, where he was captured and spent two years as a prisoner of war, entertaining his compatriots by singing Lieder. His family home was destroyed during the war, and his physically and intellectually handicapped brother was sent by the Nazis to an institution to be starved to death, as was standard practice at the time. 
Anyway, Radio 3 will be celebrating the centenary this evening with a tribute feature presented by Fischer-Dieskau's last pupil, Benjamin Appl. It's on at 7.15, and will be available on BBC Sounds.
Meanwhile, here is the great man, with the great accompanist Gerald Moore, singing a couple of seasonal Lieder. Enjoy...





3 comments:

  1. Actually, he was born on May 28. But it's nice to see someone acknowledge the centenary of his birth. Probably the 20th century's most important classical baritone (although he should have retired 10 years earlier than he did).

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  2. So he was! Misled by Radio 3 (again)...

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