Baritone Benjamin Appl pays tribute to his mentor, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, whose centenary we celebrate next Thrusday, 28th of May. “The first time I heard his voice was at school when I was twelve. In 2009, I applied for his master class at the Schubertiade in Schwarzenberg which was the start of a long and transformative relationship. I was fortunate to work with him on my entire repertoire over countless hours in his homes in Berlin and Berg.”
This album, a CD-book of 140 pages with personal text written by Appl alongside numerous previously unpublished photos and letters, offers us a glimpse into who Fischer-Dieskau was as a person, outside of his obvious public successes and accolades. The repertoire in this touching recording is structured to reflect the major stages of his life and includes compositions by family members Albert and Klaus Fischer-Dieskau, repertoire he sang as a soldier during World War II and as a prissioner in Italy, commissions composed especially for him through to favourite Lieder by Schubert.
Furthermore, Appl has presented a BBC Radio 3 documentary titled “Behind the Voice”, about his dear mentor. In this documentary, hi speaks with extraordinary guests as Christoph Eschenbach, Brigitte Fassbaender, Manuel Fischer-Dieskau or John Rutter, about Fischer-Dieskau's profound legacy, both artistic and personal. Listen to this special broadcast here.
You can also listen the album To Dieter: The Past and Future, on all platforms.
