Search - Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau: Autumn Journey / A Franz Schubert Recital (Opera Theatre of Nuremberg) on DVD

Dietrich Fischer Dieskau's biography and Schubert recital

Amy | 11/23/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"On December 31, 1992 Dietrich Fischer Dieskau gave a concert. After that he announced that this had been his last and cancelled all further appearances. It was a great loss to the millions of music lovers who had admired him for so long and glimpses from this concert reveal that at 67 his voice was still amazing. But Fischer Dieskau felt that his voice was no longer the obedient servant who had conveyed his intentions to his audiences according to his will and this was a fitting moment to say goodbye. After all he could look back on a career of fifty years; one which began in the middle of the war with a performance of Die schone Mullerin that was interrupted by air raid alarms. The audience had to seek shelter and after three hours they could return and hear the end of Schubert's song cycle.

This is one of many episodes from a long artistic life that Fischer Dieskau recollects in the fascinating documentary that covers the first half of this DVD. The interviews took place as art of the singer's 70th birthday celebrations. During the good one and a half hours the documentary lasts we are given the privilege of following him in his life journey. There are the early years where from the very beginning such was his fascination with sounds that he imitated everything. Then came the war, imprisonment in Italy, return to a Berlin in ruins and his early success as Posa in the opera Don Carlo. There are glimpses of many of his operatic roles. Don Giovanni and Count Almaviva, Mandryka in Arabella, Falstaff, a role that obviously was close to his heart up to the last great role, Lear in Aribert Reimann's opera, created specifically for Fischer Dieskau. In the course of the program we encounter numerous great musicians who have played central roles on his way through life. Instrumentalists like Menuhin and Rostropovich, conductors Furtwangler who became a kind of father figure to him. Fricsay, Karl Richter, Solti, Bernstein and Lorin Maazel in a beautifully filmed sequence, elegantly conducting Mahler and superior music making. There are of course singers too. Schwarzkopf, Seefried, Della Casa, Josef Greindl and pianists Gerald Moore, Sawallisch, Barenboim and Sviatoslav Richter. The whole life story is related by the mastersinger himself, simply, warmly, personally, with humor and intellectual sharpness. We get to know his opinions on a lot of phenomena in the wide field of activities in which he has been involved and he certainly has deeper insights than most.

Two of the most fascinating portions are his work as a voice coach and as a conductor. Both occupations coming rather late in his life. Especially interesting is the sequence where he rehearses at the piano an aria from Un ballo di maschera with his wife Julia Varady in preparation for a recording. He knows exactly what he wants in the shape of sound and expression. Being one of the greatest classical musicians, yes, he says early on that he is a musician in the first place, whose instrument happens to be the voice, he is very humbly modest.

As a substantial bonus we get a Schubert recital from Nuremberg with pianist Hartmut Holl from 1992, which was his last year as an active performer. The recital shows that his artistry was undiminished to the very end. He knows these songs to the core and every phrase and expression is considered and sensitively sung. This is a documentary that everyone with an interest in music should see.
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Great opportunity compromised

Keki Dadachanji | USA | 06/08/2008

(2 out of 5 stars)

"The material on this disc is excellent. But seeing it was very painful for me for two reasons. What I heard over the entire interview was not the voice of Fischer-Dieskau but a voice-over narrator. This is a truly reprehensible practice. The producers should have preserved the original voice of the artist, with English subtitles for those of us who do not know German. A similar problem plagues the almost ninety-minute long Schubert recital. It is a wonderful recital, but without subtitles. This is inexcusable, given the capabilities of the DVD technology. I have the DVD of F-D singing Schubert's Wintereise, and the subtitles immeasurably add to the overall experience.

This is unfortunate. Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau is the greatest lieder singer of his generation, and deserves better presentation than this disc provides."

A Worthwhile Journey

David D. Dollinger | Pasadena, CA | 06/27/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have given this item five stars, principally because of its content and the lieder recital. It is, however, a Kultur release which means we are in the low-rent district of DVD issues. As to the production of the video contents proper there is also room for criticsm as well.

Rather than utilize subtitles, the makers of the film utlize a "voice over". Call me perverse but I really prefer to hear the voice of the individual artist as opposed to a narration. Clearly the somments of the great baritone are worthwhile hearing. The now deleted two DVD set that was available on DGG and include interviews at the end of the disc utilize subtitles.

What is even more perverse is the lack of subtitles for the lieder recital which constitues half of the DVD. The contents of the recital are made up of lieder that in part is familiar, but also songs that many auditors may not know so well. I have no idea of the cost of including this kind of information, but find its lack penny pinching of the worst kind.

But because it is DFD I still would recommend the DVD,but wish it had been released by TDK or Arthaus. DFD was one of the 20th century's greatest artists. He deserves better."