Talk:Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau

Comments

I have reverted the edit by 137.22.4.102 because I can't find any evidence that Fischer-Dieskau is dead. Please revert my revert if you have evidence to the contrary.

--Greg 21:03, 25 May 2006 (UTC)

In my opinion, the discography list should include the recording of Britten/s War Requiem with Peter Pears and Britten conducting. It was a very signficant performance for reasons other than just his singing. Un less someone disagrees, I will add it in a couple days. Wood Artist 17:58, 13 January 2007 (UTC)

I second the motion Captbaritone (talk) 11:07, 3 February 2008 (UTC)

Fi-Di and the war

It seems to me that his role as a German soldier in WWII as as a musical ambasador for Germany after the war are of some importance and perhaps marrit a section. Paraphrased by me, from Kenneth S. Whitton's book "Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau Mastersinger":

• One of his professors wrote a letter on his behalf attempting to

excuse him from service based on his "extraordinary vocal and musical talent."

• He was drafted in 1943 as a Army veterinarian because of a blood

vessel disorder.

• "The singer gives a delightful description of how he used to sing

into the ears of is unruly horses as he brushed them down. Whether he sang 'Winterreise' to them he cannot remember." - Whitton

• He was posted to infantry training in 1944.
• Fischer-Dieskau claims with pride that he never fired on a human

being, and that the six rounds he was required to fire each day were shot into the air at night.

• His talents were recognized and now and again he would be

transported to the Nazi General in command. "After saying my 'Heil Hitler!' I had to sing the Erlkönig!" - Fischer-Dieskau

• Fischer-Dieskau was captured by the Americans while he and his

comrades were helping repair a peasant's cottage roof. And imprisoned in a POW camp in Italy for two years.

• From a Fischer-Dieskau quote on his post war feelings about the

Nazis: "The Nazis had allowed my handicapped brother Martin to starve to death in the 'sanatorium' to which they had transported him."

As you can clearly see, Whitton downplays any Nazi sympathies he may have had. I am inclined to believe it, but due to the overly praise-based nature of the book, I still wonder. After all "Fischer-Dieskau the Nazi" would not appeal to his English reading audience.

Whitton's point, however, is supported by role he has played as a musical ambassador for Germany. Examples include his participation in the premiere performance of Britten's War Requiem, and the acceptance of his German language performances in Israel.

What do you all think? Captbaritone (talk) 18:49, 5 February 2008 (UTC)

• I think the comment about his brother shows a distaste for the Nazis. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Kdammers (talk • contribs) 07:13, 25 June 2011

British debut and misspelling of his name

I've just added the details of his 1951 British debut. The liner notes from the recording I took the info from says "Fischer-Dieskau was virtually unknown in Britain at that time, a fact underlined by the curious misspelling of his name in the printed programme". (My highlight. The work was Delius's A Mass of Life). It's a tantalising bit of info, because they don't say just what the misspelling was. Does anyone know?

It's a bit ironic that the record itself (the one I took the details from) is titled "Portrait of Dietriech [sic] Fischer-Dieskau". -- JackofOz (talk) 08:01, 12 March 2009 (UTC)

Italian opera

The discussion of his recordings of Italian repertoire is interesting; could it go further? For example, how often did he perform these roles? I think I recall someone saying that he never performed Rigoletto, which surely couldn't be right ... could it?! What kind of sources would be suitable to find for this kind of discussion. (Would reviews from The Gramophone be any good?) In the interests of OR I've just been comparing bits of his Rigoletto with Bastianini's: it's clear DF-D's performance is outside the boundaries of a classic Italianate interpretation. Is this in itself interesting? (By-the-bye, the orchestra sounds helpfully distant as well) Anyway, that's enough of my wittering on, what do other people think? almost-instinct 15:37, 25 March 2009 (UTC)

I can answer one of my questions; here is a quote from Jon Tolansky in The Gramophone: "He himself has said that it is not easy for a German singer to perform opera in Italian, or for that matter French, and there are some who have expressed reservations about his Verdi performances. But the audience at La Scala loved his Rigoletto and there are many who have been deeply affected by his searching interpretations in Italian and several other non-Germanic operas." almost-instinct 16:22, 25 March 2009 (UTC)

Lead

Although personally familiar with all of the roles mentioned in the lead (at last count seventeen), I think their inclusion as currently formulated is foolish and unencyclopedic. They are meaningless to the "operatically challenged" and do not belong in the lead per WP guidelines. Even if they are retained somewhere else in this article they need to be explained so that they can be better understood by the average reader. Dr. Dan (talk) 21:20, 15 November 2009 (UTC)

Fischer-Dieskau never sang at the Staatsoper

The article stated erroneously that "In the autumn of 1948, Fischer-Dieskau was engaged as principal lyric baritone at the Berlin State Opera, making his debut as Posa in Verdi's Don Carlos under Ferenc Fricsay."

In fact the Berlin State Opera ("Unter den Linden") was and is in East Berlin. Fischer Dieskau was engaged and sang, for 30 years, at the Berlin Städtische Oper, known after 1961 as the Berlin Deutsche Oper—in West Berlin.

I have corrected the text. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 208.87.248.162 (talk) 22:47, 23 November 2009 (UTC)

MEISTERSINGER

Sorry for ranting but, I would be very grateful if anyone can tell me: WHY WHY WHY did he never sing the CORRECT role for him in MEISTERSINGER, which is Beckmesser? For voice-type and manner it's THE PERFECT role for him. It should have been one of his signature roles!

[attack on the article's subject removed - Voceditenore (talk) 17:11, 8 December 2009 (UTC)]

Anyone know anything about his decision not to play Beckmesser? Please advise. SingingZombie (talk) 02:59, 8 December 2009 (UTC)

Please do not use article talk pages like an internet forum. They are solely for discussions directly related to improving the artcle. Please read WP:Talk and the notice at the top of this talk page for guidance. Note that I have removed your personal attack on the article's subject. This is entirely inappropriate for the talk page of any biographical article but especially so for those on living people. Voceditenore (talk) 17:11, 8 December 2009 (UTC)

I don't see why only this opera is mentioned and linked in the introduction (with a minor role), but not the important other operas, at least in a link as I saw in Karl Ridderbusch, linking the character to the opera. I wonder If the average reader could imagine Salome (opera) reading Jochanaan. --Gerda Arendt (talk) 08:40, 6 February 2010 (UTC)

Spelling and puffery

I'm not sure if I created a "minor edit" or not, since I changed "lieder" to "Lieder" about a dozen times. Since it is a technical German word, not considered a "naturalized English" word, it should always be capitalized, as in German. It is so given in the original text just ONCE, in the quote from Time magazine. I also capitalized "French" and made one or two other minor grammatical corrections (e.g. changing "was" to "were" when the subject was plural). In any case, although I agree readily enough that Fischer-Dieskau was one of the greatest and most significant singers of the 20th century, the article still frequently reads like a puff piece, and only barely touches on critical dissension, which has been considerable. He is established in the first graf as "a god" with a quote from his colleague Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, and the article seldom descends from that worshipful height. Almost every informed classical vocal person agrees about his superb technique, but there have been many who have questioned his supposed "profound insights" as over-emphasis, while even more have expressed an aversion to the raw sound of his voice, not finding it very "beautiful" at all. In addition, I don't think the assertion that he is the "most-recorded singer" can be substantiated. I would want to see more convincing proof of that. "Most-recorded baritone" is probably accurate. The article is not terrible, but it does not fully fit the objective standards of an encyclopedia.

I am the author of "The International Guide to Building a Classical Music Library," among other books and articles on classical music, and was the host of "The Opera with Bill Parker" on the Minnesota Public Radio network (22 stations) for 17 consecutive seasons. Billcito (talk) 08:30, 8 July 2010 (UTC)

REPLY Foreign words should not be spelled with an initial capital letter; they should be italicized, n'est-ce pas? I have corrected this error in the text. Goblinshark17 (talk) 05:02, 3 August 2014 (UTC)

UPDATE: Now I'm not so sure. Internet articles seem to disagree; some say "lieder", others "Lieder", still others "lieder". Goblinshark17 (talk) 07:06, 3 August 2014 (UTC)

The article Lied shows the usual convention so I'll revert here and any rehashing can be done at Talk:Lied. Btw, Schubert's title can be seen below: Sparafucil (talk) 21:36, 5 August 2014 (UTC)

The picture you have posted shows the title of the Lied is "Erlkonig", not "Der Erlkonig." I am correcting the entry in the article to reflect this. Goblinshark17 (talk) 18:24, 7 August 2014 (UTC)

Enoch Arden (Strauss)

One of my sources for the above article says the D F-D recorded the melodrama twice, once in the mid-60s, and again in 2003. I can't find any other evidence for the 1960s claim, including the name of the pianist, so I'm wondering if it's correct. Maybe the writer of that source somehow confused him with the Claude Rains/Glenn Gould recording of 1962. -- Jack of Oz ... speak! ... 21:32, 11 December 2010 (UTC)

IPA for name?

• Sounds like Deeshkow? Dishkow? If anyone could add IPA, I'd be grateful. • Serviceable†Villain 01:31, 26 November 2014 (UTC)
  • Perhaps diːtʁɪç fɪʃɐ diːskaʊ̯; wwill verify and try to add with a template. • Serviceable†Villain 09:18, 23 February 2015 (UTC)