Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (28 May 1925 – 18 May 2012) was a German lyric

baritone A baritone is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the bass and the tenor voice-types. The term originates from the Greek (), meaning "heavy sounding". Composers typically write music for this voice in the ...

and conductor of classical music, one of the most famous

Lied In Western classical music tradition, (, plural ; , plural , ) is a term for setting poetry to classical music to create a piece of polyphonic music. The term is used for any kind of song in contemporary German, but among English and French s ...

er (

art song An art song is a Western vocal music composition, usually written for one voice with piano accompaniment, and usually in the classical art music tradition. By extension, the term "art song" is used to refer to the collective genre of such son ...

) performers of the post-war period, best known as a singer of

Franz Schubert Franz Peter Schubert (; 31 January 179719 November 1828) was an Austrian composer of the late Classical and early Romantic eras. Despite his short lifetime, Schubert left behind a vast ''oeuvre'', including more than 600 secular vocal wo ...

's Lieder, particularly ''"

Winterreise ''Winterreise'' (, ''Winter Journey'') is a song cycle for voice and piano by Franz Schubert ( D. 911, published as Op. 89 in 1828), a setting of 24 poems by German poet Wilhelm Müller. It is the second of Schubert's two song cycles on Müller' ...

"'' of which his recordings with accompanists Gerald Moore and Jörg Demus are still critically acclaimed half a century after their release. Recording an array of repertoire (spanning centuries) as musicologist Alan Blyth asserted, "No singer in our time, or probably any other has managed the range and versatility of repertory achieved by Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. Opera,

Lieder In Western classical music tradition, (, plural ; , plural , ) is a term for setting poetry to classical music to create a piece of polyphonic music. The term is used for any kind of song in contemporary German, but among English and French s ...

and

oratorio An oratorio () is a large musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists. Like most operas, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias. However, opera is ...

in German, Italian or English came alike to him, yet he brought to each a precision and individuality that bespoke his perceptive insights into the idiom at hand." In addition, he recorded in French, Russian,

Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...

and Hungarian. He was described as "one of the supreme vocal artists of the 20th century" and "the most influential singer of the 20th Century". Fischer-Dieskau was ranked the second greatest singer of the century (after

Jussi Björling Johan Jonatan "Jussi" Björling ( , ; 5 February 19119 September 1960) was a Swedish tenor. One of the leading operatic singers of the 20th century, Björling appeared for many years at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City and less frequen ...

) by Classic CD (United Kingdom) "Top Singers of the Century" Critics' Poll (June 1999). The French dubbed him "Le miracle Fischer-Dieskau" and Dame Elisabeth Schwarzkopf called him "a born god who has it all." At his peak, he was greatly admired for his interpretive insights and exceptional control of his soft, beautiful instrument. He dominated both the opera and concert platforms for over thirty years.

Early years

Albert Dietrich Fischer was born in 1925 in Berlin to Albert Fischer, a school principal, and Theodora (née Klingelhoffer) Fischer, a teacher. In 1934, his father added the hyphenated "Dieskau" to the family name (through his mother, he was descended from the Kammerherr von Dieskau, for whom

Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard wo ...

wrote the " Peasant Cantata"). He started singing as a child and began formal voice lessons at the age of 16. When he was drafted into the

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the '' Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previo ...

during World War II in 1943, tending horses on the Russian Front, Fischer-Dieskau had just completed his secondary school studies and one semester at the Berlin Conservatory. He served in Grenadier Regiment 146 of the 65th Infantry Division south of Bologna in the winter of 1944–45 and entertained his comrades at soldiers' evenings behind the lines. He was captured in Italy in 1945 and spent two years as an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

prisoner of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of ...

. During that time, he sang Lieder in POW camps to homesick German soldiers. He had a physically and intellectually impaired brother, Martin, who was sent to an institution by the

Nazi regime Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

and

starved to death Starvation is a severe deficiency in caloric energy intake, below the level needed to maintain an organism's life. It is the most extreme form of malnutrition. In humans, prolonged starvation can cause permanent organ damage and eventually, ...

. His family home was also destroyed during the war.

Singing career

In 1947, Fischer-Dieskau returned to Germany, where he launched his professional career as a singer in Badenweiler, singing in Brahms's '' Ein Deutsches Requiem'' without any rehearsal. (He was a last-minute substitute for an indisposed singer.) He gave his first Lieder recital in

Leipzig Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as ...

in the autumn of 1947 and followed it soon afterwards with a highly successful first concert at Berlin's Titania-Palast. From early in his career he collaborated with famous lyric

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880& ...

s Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and

Irmgard Seefried Irmgard Seefried (9 October 191924 November 1988) was a distinguished German soprano who sang opera, sacred music, and lieder. Maria Theresia Irmgard Seefried was born in , near Mindelheim, Bavaria, Germany, the daughter of educated Austrian- ...

, and the recording producer Walter Legge, issuing instantly successful albums of Lieder by Schubert and

Hugo Wolf Hugo Philipp Jacob Wolf (13 March 1860 – 22 February 1903) was an Austrian composer of Slovene origin, particularly noted for his art songs, or Lieder. He brought to this form a concentrated expressive intensity which was unique in late Ro ...

. In the autumn of 1948, Fischer-Dieskau was engaged as principal lyric baritone at the Städtische Oper Berlin (Municipal Opera,

West Berlin West Berlin (german: Berlin (West) or , ) was a political enclave which comprised the western part of Berlin during the years of the Cold War. Although West Berlin was de jure not part of West Germany, lacked any sovereignty, and was under mi ...

), making his debut as Posa in

Verdi Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for his operas. He was born near Busseto to a provincial family of moderate means, receiving a musical education with the ...

's ''

Don Carlos ''Don Carlos'' is a five-act grand opera composed by Giuseppe Verdi to a French-language libretto by Joseph Méry and Camille du Locle, based on the dramatic play '' Don Carlos, Infant von Spanien'' (''Don Carlos, Infante of Spain'') by Fried ...

'' under Ferenc Fricsay. This company, known after 1961 as the Deutsche Oper, would remain his artistic home until his retirement from the operatic stage, in 1978. Subsequently, Fischer-Dieskau made guest appearances at the opera houses in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

and

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and ...

. After 1949 he made concert tours in the Netherlands, Switzerland, France and Italy. In 1951, he made his

Salzburg Festival The Salzburg Festival (german: Salzburger Festspiele) is a prominent festival of music and drama established in 1920. It is held each summer (for five weeks starting in late July) in the Austrian town of Salzburg, the birthplace of Wolfgang Ama ...

concert debut with Mahler's '' Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen (Songs of a Wayfarer)'' under Wilhelm Furtwängler. That year, he also made his British debut, at the

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...

in London during the

Festival of Britain The Festival of Britain was a national exhibition and fair that reached millions of visitors throughout the United Kingdom in the summer of 1951. Historian Kenneth O. Morgan says the Festival was a "triumphant success" during which people: ...

. He appeared in

Frederick Delius Delius, photographed in 1907 Frederick Theodore Albert Delius ( 29 January 1862 – 10 June 1934), originally Fritz Delius, was an English composer. Born in Bradford in the north of England to a prosperous mercantile family, he resisted atte ...

's ''A Mass of Life'', conducted by Sir

Thomas Beecham Sir Thomas Beecham, 2nd Baronet, Order of the Companions of Honour, CH (29 April 18798 March 1961) was an English conductor and impresario best known for his association with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Philharmonic and the Roya ...

. He made regular opera appearances at the

Bayreuth Festival The Bayreuth Festival (german: link=no, Bayreuther Festspiele) is a music festival held annually in Bayreuth, Germany, at which performances of operas by the 19th-century German composer Richard Wagner are presented. Wagner himself conceived ...

between 1954 and 1961 and at the

from 1956 until the early 1970s. As an opera singer, Fischer-Dieskau performed mainly in Berlin and at the

Bavarian State Opera The Bayerische Staatsoper is a German opera company based in Munich. Its main venue is the Nationaltheater München, and its orchestra the Bayerische Staatsorchester. History The parent ensemble of the company was founded in 1653, under Ele ...

in Munich. He also made guest appearances at the Vienna State Opera, at the

Royal Opera House The Royal Opera House (ROH) is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. It is the home of The Royal ...

Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist si ...

in London, at the

Hamburg State Opera The Hamburg State Opera (in German: Staatsoper Hamburg) is a German opera company based in Hamburg. Its theatre is near the square of Gänsemarkt. Since 2015, the current ''Intendant'' of the company is Georges Delnon, and the current ''Gener ...

, in Japan, and at the King's Theatre in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

, during the

Edinburgh Festival __NOTOC__ This is a list of arts and cultural festivals regularly taking place in Edinburgh, Scotland. The city has become known for its festivals since the establishment in 1947 of the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh F ...

. His first tour in the United States took place in 1955, when he was 29, with his concert debut in

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line w ...

on 15 April ( J. S. Bach's cantata '' Ich will den Kreuzstab gerne tragen'' ) (BWV 56) and 16 April ('' Ein Deutsches Requiem''). His American Lieder debut, singing

songs, took place in

Saint Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississippi River, Saint Paul is a regional business hub and the center ...

, on 19 April. His New York City debut occurred on 2 May at The Town Hall, where he sang Schubert's

song cycle A song cycle (german: Liederkreis or Liederzyklus) is a group, or cycle, of individually complete songs designed to be performed in a sequence as a unit.Susan Youens, ''Grove online'' The songs are either for solo voice or an ensemble, or rare ...

'' without an interval. Both American recitals were accompanied by Gerald Moore. In 1951, Fischer-Dieskau made his first of many recordings of Lieder with Gerald Moore at the EMI

Abbey Road Studios Abbey Road Studios (formerly EMI Recording Studios) is a recording studio at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music ...

, London, including a complete ''

Die schöne Müllerin ' (,"The Fair Maid of the Mill", Op. 25, D. 795), is a song cycle by Franz Schubert from 1823 based on 20 poems by Wilhelm Müller. It is the first of Schubert's two seminal cycles (preceding '' Winterreise'')'','' and a pinnacle of '' Lied'' ...

'', and they performed the work on 31 January 1952 at the Kingsway Hall, London in the Mysore Concerts of the Philharmonia Concert Society. They gave recitals together until Moore retired from public performance in 1967. They continued, however, to record together until 1972, in which year they completed their massive project of recording all of the Schubert lieder appropriate for the male voice. Gerald Moore retired completely in 1972, and died in 1987, aged 87. Their recordings of ''Die schöne Müllerin'' and ''Winterreise'' are highly prized as examples of their artistic partnership. Fischer-Dieskau also performed many works of

contemporary music Contemporary classical music is classical music composed close to the present day. At the beginning of the 21st century, it commonly referred to the post-1945 modern forms of post-tonal music after the death of Anton Webern, and included se ...

, including

Benjamin Britten Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976, aged 63) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, other ...

(who chose Fischer-Dieskau as the baritone soloist when writing '' War Requiem''),

Samuel Barber Samuel Osmond Barber II (March 9, 1910 – January 23, 1981) was an American composer, pianist, conductor, baritone, and music educator, and one of the most celebrated composers of the 20th century. The music critic Donal Henahan said, "Probab ...

, Hans Werner Henze, Karl Amadeus Hartmann (who wrote his '' Gesangsszene'' for him), Ernst Krenek, Witold Lutosławski,

Siegfried Matthus Siegfried Matthus (13 April 1934 – 27 August 2021) was a German composer, conductor, and festival founder and manager. Some of his operas, such as ''Judith (Matthus), Judith'', were premiered at the Komische Oper Berlin in East Berlin. In 199 ...

Othmar Schoeck Othmar Schoeck (1 September 1886 – 8 March 1957) was a Swiss Romantic classical composer, opera composer, musician, and conductor. He was known mainly for his considerable output of art songs and song cycles, though he also wrote a number ...

Winfried Zillig Winfried Zillig (1 April 1905 – 18 December 1963) was a German composer, music theorist, and conductor. Zillig was born in Würzburg. After leaving school, Zillig studied law and music. One of his teachers there was Hermann Zilcher. In Vienna ...

, Gottfried von Einem and

Aribert Reimann Aribert Reimann (born 4 March 1936) is a German composer, pianist and accompanist, known especially for his literary operas. His version of Shakespeare's ''King Lear'', the opera ''Lear'', was written at the suggestion of Dietrich Fischer-Dieska ...

. He participated in the 1975 premiere and 1993 recording of Gottfried von Einem's

cantata A cantata (; ; literally "sung", past participle feminine singular of the Italian verb ''cantare'', "to sing") is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir. The meaning o ...

''An die Nachgeborenen'', written in 1973 as a commission of the UN, both with

Julia Hamari Julia Hamari (born 21 November 1942) is a Hungarian mezzo-soprano and alto singer in opera and concert, appearing internationally. She is an academic voice teacher in Stuttgart. Professional career Julia Hamari was born in Budapest where she re ...

and the Wiener Symphoniker conducted by

Carlo Maria Giulini Carlo Maria Giulini (; 9 May 1914 – 14 June 2005) was an Italian conductor. From the age of five, when he began to play the violin, Giulini's musical education was expanded when he began to study at Italy's foremost conservatory, the Conserva ...

. Beyond his recordings of Lieder and the German opera repertoire, Fischer-Dieskau also recorded performances in the Italian operatic field. His recordings of Verdi's ''

Rigoletto ''Rigoletto'' is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the 1832 play '' Le roi s'amuse'' by Victor Hugo. Despite serious initial problems with the Austrian censors who had co ...

'' (alongside Renata Scotto and Carlo Bergonzi) and Rodrigo in Verdi's ''

'', are probably the most respected of these ventures. (Others, such as the title role in Verdi's ''

Macbeth ''Macbeth'' (, full title ''The Tragedie of Macbeth'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those w ...

'' (with

Elena Souliotis Elena Souliotis (spelled Suliotis in the early part of her career; el, Έλενα Σουλιώτη; 28 May 19434 December 2004) was a Greek operatic soprano. Biography Elena Souliotis was born in Athens, Greece, of Greek and Russian parents b ...

), Giorgio Germont in Verdi's ''

La traviata ''La traviata'' (; ''The Fallen Woman'') is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. It is based on '' La Dame aux camélias'' (1852), a play by Alexandre Dumas ''fils'' adapted from his ow ...

'', and Scarpia in

Giacomo Puccini Giacomo Puccini ( Lucca, 22 December 1858Bruxelles, 29 November 1924) was an Italian composer known primarily for his operas. Regarded as the greatest and most successful proponent of Italian opera after Verdi, he was descended from a long ...

's ''

Tosca ''Tosca'' is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It premiered at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome on 14 January 1900. The work, based on Victorien Sardou's 1887 French-language dramati ...

'' (with

Birgit Nilsson Märta Birgit Nilsson (17 May 1918 – 25 December 2005) was a celebrated Swedish dramatic soprano. Although she sang a wide répertoire of operatic and vocal works, Nilsson was best known for her performances in the operas of Richard Wagner ...

), are not delivered by him with the same degree of effectiveness.) As conductor Ferenc Fricsay put it, "I never dreamed I'd find an Italian

in Berlin."

Retirement

Fischer-Dieskau retired from opera in 1978, the year he recorded his final opera,

's ''

Lear Lear or Leir may refer to: Acronyms * Liga de Escritores y Artistas Revolucionarios, a Mexican association of revolutionary artists and writers * Low Energy Ion Ring, an ion pre-accelerator of the Large Hadron Collider at CERN ** Low Energy Antipr ...

'', which the composer had written at his suggestion. He retired from the concert hall as of New Year's Day, 1993, at 67, and dedicated himself to conducting,

teaching Teaching is the practice implemented by a ''teacher'' aimed at transmitting skills (knowledge, know-how, and interpersonal skills) to a learner, a student, or any other audience in the context of an educational institution. Teaching is closely ...

(especially the interpretation of Lieder), painting and writing books. He still performed as a reciter, reading for example the letters of Strauss to

Hugo von Hofmannsthal Hugo Laurenz August Hofmann von Hofmannsthal (; 1 February 1874 – 15 July 1929) was an Austrian novelist, librettist, poet, dramatist, narrator, and essayist. Early life Hofmannsthal was born in Landstraße, Vienna, the son of an upper-cl ...

(whose part was read by

Gert Westphal Curt Gerhard Westphal, stage name Gert Westphal, (5 October 1920 – 10 November 2002) was a German-Swiss actor, audiobook narrator, recitator and director, one of the best-known audiobook narrators and speakers in German, described as "König der ...

), for the Rheingau Musik Festival in 1994; and both performing and recording Strauss's melodrama ''

Enoch Arden ''Enoch Arden'' is a narrative poem published in 1864 by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, during his tenure as England's poet laureate. The story on which it was based was provided to Tennyson by Thomas Woolner. The poem lent its name to a principle in ...

''. He also became an honorary member of the

Robert Schumann Robert Schumann (; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and influential music critic. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era. Schumann left the study of law, intending to pursue a career a ...

Society.

Recognition

Throughout his career, his musicianship and technique were frequently described as flawless by critics. As Greg Sandow of Opera News put it, "Overall, his technique is breath-taking; someone should build a monument to it." As 'the world's greatest Lieder singer' (Time magazine), he regularly sold out concert halls all over the world until his retirement at the end of 1992. The precisely articulated accuracy of his performances, in which text and music were presented as equal partners, established standards that endure today. The current widespread interest in German Romantic art song is mainly due to his efforts. Perhaps most admired as a singer of Schubert Lieder, Fischer-Dieskau had, according to critic Joachim Kaiser, only one really serious competitor – himself, as over the decades he set new standards, explored new territories and expressed unanticipated feelings and emotions.

Few artists achieve the level of recognition, admiration and influence of Fischer-Dieskau, and even fewer live to see that influence realised during their own lifetime. Ushering in the modern recording era, he challenged our perception and processes of how recordings could be made, explored the possibilities of modern recording and exploited the potential for the popularity of classical music – and all this while setting standards of artistic achievement, integrity, risk-taking, and of the aesthetic ideal that became our new norm. Whenever we bask in the beauty of his tone, revere the probing, questioning power of his intellect, or simply wonder at the astonishing physical abilities throughout all that he has achieved in his long recording career, we must also pause and say THANK YOU to this great artist, whose legacy, like a great and bright star lighting the way for those who follow in his passion for singing, is exemplary in every way.—Thomas Hampson, May 2012, Hall of Fame, Gramophone Magazine.

Awards

* Léonie Sonning Music Prize 1975 * Ernst von Siemens Music Prize 1980 *

Praemium Imperiale Prince Takamatsu The Praemium Imperiale ( ja, 高松宮殿下記念世界文化賞, Takamatsu-no-miya Denka Kinen Sekai Bunka-shō, World Culture Prize in Memory of His Imperial Highness Prince Takamatsu) is an international art prize inaugur ...

2002 *

Polar Music Prize The Polar Music Prize is a Swedish international award founded in 1989 by Stig Anderson, best known as the manager of the Swedish band ABBA, with a donation to the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. The award is annually given to one contemporar ...

2005 *

Gramophone A phonograph, in its later forms also called a gramophone (as a trademark since 1887, as a generic name in the UK since 1910) or since the 1940s called a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogu ...

Hall of Fame entrant 2012 * Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur 1990. * Won five Grammy Awards: in 1970, 1972, 1977, 1988, and 2000.

Personal life

In 1949, Fischer-Dieskau married the cellist Irmgard Poppen. Together they had three sons: Mathias (a stage designer),

Martin Martin may refer to: Places * Martin City (disambiguation) * Martin County (disambiguation) * Martin Township (disambiguation) Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Austr ...

(a conductor), and Manuel (a cellist with the

Cherubini Quartet The Cherubini Quartet (German: ''Cherubini-Quartett'') was a German string quartet from Düsseldorf, founded in 1978. It is named after the Italian composer Luigi Cherubini, who wrote six string quartets. The Cherubini Quartet has won international ...

). Irmgard died in 1963 of complications following childbirth. Afterwards, Fischer-Dieskau was married to the actress

Ruth Leuwerik Ruth Leuwerik (; 23 April 1924 – 12 January 2016) was a German film actress, one of the most popular stars of German film during the 1950s. She appeared in 34 films between 1950 and 1977. Leuwerik is probably best known for her portrayal of Mar ...

, from 1965 to 1967, and Kristina Pugell, from 1968 to 1975. In 1977 he married the soprano Júlia Várady. His older brother Klaus Fischer-Dieskau was a notable Berlin choral director who conducted for Fischer-Dieskau several times, including in his only recording of a passion by Heinrich Schütz in 1961. Fischer-Dieskau smoked during a large part of his career. In an interview with ''B.Z.-News aus Berlin'' in 2002 he said, "I quit smoking 20 years ago. I smoked for 35 years, and then stopped in a single day."

Death

On 18 May 2012, Fischer-Dieskau died in his sleep at his home in

Berg, Upper Bavaria Berg is a municipality in the district of Starnberg in Bavaria, Germany, on the shore of the Starnberg Lake. It is most famous for the royal Berg Castle Berg Castle ( lb, Schlass Bierg, ; french: Château de Berg; german: Schloss Berg), also c ...

, 10 days before his 87th birthday.

Partial discography

As singer

Fischer-Dieskau recorded mainly for the EMI,

Deutsche Grammophon Deutsche Grammophon (; DGG) is a German classical music record label that was the precursor of the corporation PolyGram. Headquartered in Berlin Friedrichshain, it is now part of Universal Music Group (UMG) since its merger with the UMG family of ...

and Orfeo labels *

Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the ''Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard wor ...

, ''75 Cantatas'', with Karl Richter on the Polygram label * Bach, Jesus and bass parts in the Passions under a wide host of conductors, e.g. Herbert von Karajan, Otto Klemperer, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Fritz Lehmann, and Karl Richter * Bach, ''Christmas Oratorio'', with Sir Philip Ledger * Bartók, '' Bluebeard's Castle'', with Ferenc Fricsay * Bartók, ''Bluebeard's Castle'', with his fourth wife Julia Varady as Judith, directed by

Wolfgang Sawallisch Wolfgang Sawallisch (26 August 1923 – 22 February 2013) was a German conductor and pianist. Biography Wolfgang Sawallisch was born in Munich, the son of Maria and Wilhelm Sawallisch. His father was director of the Hamburg-Bremer-Feuerversich ...

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classic ...

, ''

Fidelio ''Fidelio'' (; ), originally titled ' (''Leonore, or The Triumph of Marital Love''), Op. 72, is Ludwig van Beethoven's only opera. The German libretto was originally prepared by Joseph Sonnleithner from the French of Jean-Nicolas Bouilly, ...

'', with Fricsay * Beethoven, ''Fidelio'', with

Leonard Bernstein Leonard Bernstein ( ; August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, pianist, music educator, author, and humanitarian. Considered to be one of the most important conductors of his time, he was the first America ...

* Beethoven, ''Choral Symphony'', with Fricsay *

Alban Berg Alban Maria Johannes Berg ( , ; 9 February 1885 – 24 December 1935) was an Austrian composer of the Second Viennese School. His compositional style combined Romantic lyricism with the twelve-tone technique. Although he left a relatively sm ...

, ''Vier Lieder (Four Songs), Op. 2'', with

, piano, on the Deutsche Grammophon label * Alban Berg, ''

Wozzeck ''Wozzeck'' () is the first opera by the Austrian composer Alban Berg. It was composed between 1914 and 1922 and first performed in 1925. The opera is based on the drama '' Woyzeck'', which the German playwright Georg Büchner left incomplete at ...

'', with Karl Böhm * Alban Berg, '' Lulu'', with Karl Böhm * Brahms, '' Ein Deutsches Requiem'', with Rudolf Kempe * Brahms, ''Ein deutsches Requiem'', with Otto Klemperer and the Philharmonia Orchestra on the Angel label * Brahms, ''Ein deutsches Requiem'', with Otto Klemperer, the

Philharmonia Orchestra The Philharmonia Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It was founded in 1945 by Walter Legge, a classical music record producer for EMI. Among the conductors who worked with the orchestra in its early years were Richard Strauss, ...

and Elisabeth Schwarzkopf on the EMI label 1961 recorded at Kingsway Hall in March 1961 * Brahms, '' Liebeslieder Walzer'' on the Deutsche Grammophon label * Brahms, '' Vier ernste Gesänge'', lieder, with Jörg Demus, piano on the Deutsche Grammophon label * Brahms, ''

Die schöne Magelone Die, as a verb, refers to death, the cessation of life. Die may also refer to: Games * Die, singular of dice, small throwable objects used for producing random numbers Manufacturing * Die (integrated circuit), a rectangular piece of a semicondu ...

'' * Britten, '' War Requiem'', Benjamin Britten conducting, with Galina Vishnevskaya and Sir Peter Pears * Busoni, '' Doktor Faust'', conductor

Ferdinand Leitner Ferdinand Leitner (4 March 1912 in Berlin – 3 June 1996 in Zürich) was a German conductor. Leitner studied under Franz Schreker, Julius Prüwer, Artur Schnabel and Karl Muck. He also was a composition student with Robert Kahn. Starting as ...

* Cimarosa, '' The Secret Marriage'', with

Daniel Barenboim Daniel Barenboim (; in he, דניאל בארנבוים, born 15 November 1942) is an Argentine-born classical pianist and conductor based in Berlin. He has been since 1992 General Music Director of the Berlin State Opera and "Staatskapellmeist ...

Debussy (Achille) Claude Debussy (; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionism in music, Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most infl ...

, Mélodies, with

Hartmut Höll Hartmut Höll (born November 24, 1952) is a German pianist and music professor.J. B. Steane, "Hartmut Höll", Grove Music Online Biography Höll was born in Heilbronn. He trained in Stuttgart, Milan and Munich Munich ( ; german: Münche ...

, piano, recorded 1988 for Claves Records, available in 2006 on

Brilliant Classics Brilliant Classics is a classical music label based in the Dutch town of Leeuwarden. It is renowned for releasing super-budget-priced editions on CD of the complete works of J.S. Bach, Mozart, Beethoven and many other composers. The label also ...

* Fauré, ''

Requiem A Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead ( la, Missa pro defunctis) or Mass of the dead ( la, Missa defunctorum), is a Mass of the Catholic Church offered for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, ...

'', Op. 48 under

André Cluytens André Cluytens (, ; born Augustin Zulma Alphonse Cluytens; 26 March 19053 June 1967)Baeck E. ''André Cluytens: Itinéraire d’un chef d’orchestre.'' Editions Mardaga, Wavre, 2009. was a Belgian-born French conductor who was active in the con ...

on EMI *

Gluck Christoph Willibald (Ritter von) Gluck (; 2 July 1714 – 15 November 1787) was a composer of Italian and French opera in the early classical period. Born in the Upper Palatinate and raised in Bohemia, both part of the Holy Roman Empire, he ...

, ''

Orfeo ed Euridice ' (; French: '; English: ''Orpheus and Eurydice'') is an opera composed by Christoph Willibald Gluck, based on the myth of Orpheus and set to a libretto by Ranieri de' Calzabigi. It belongs to the genre of the '' azione teatrale'', meaning a ...

'' with Karl Richter *

, ''

'' with Fricsay * Gluck, '' Iphigenie in Aulis'' with

Artur Rother Artur Martin Rother (12 October 188522 September 1972) was a German conductor who worked mainly in the opera house. He was born in Stettin, Pomerania (now Szczecin, Poland). His father was an organist and music teacher. He studied under Hugo Ka ...

* Gluck, ''Iphigenie in Aulis'' with

Kurt Eichhorn Kurt Peter Eichhorn (4 August 1908 – 29 June 1994), was a German conductor. Eichhorn was born in Munich, the son of a painter. He studied music at the conservatory in Würzburg with Hermann Zilcher and progressed through provincial houses. His ...

and

Anna Moffo Anna Moffo (June 27, 1932 – March 9, 2006) was an American opera singer, television personality, and actress. One of the leading lyric-coloratura sopranos of her generation, she possessed a warm and radiant voice of considerable range and agili ...

* Haydn, '' The Creation'', singing the role of Adam, with Herbert von Karajan * Haydn, '' The Creation'', singing the roles of Adam and the Archangel Raphael, with Sir Neville Marriner *

Henze Henze is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Albert Henze (1894–1979), German Wehrmacht general *Frank Henze (born 1977), German slalom canoeist *Gertrud Henze (1901–2014), a German supercentenarian *Gregor Henze, German ...

, '' Elegie für junge Liebende'', with

Martha Mödl Martha Mödl (22 March 1912, Nuremberg – 17 December 2001, Stuttgart) was a German soprano, and later a mezzo-soprano. She specialized in large dramatic roles such as Isolde, Brünnhilde, and particularly Kundry, and is considered, along with Ast ...

, the composer conducting *

Paul Hindemith Paul Hindemith (; 16 November 189528 December 1963) was a German composer, music theorist, teacher, violist and conductor. He founded the Amar Quartet in 1921, touring extensively in Europe. As a composer, he became a major advocate of the ' ...

, '' Cardillac'', with Joseph Keilberth * Paul Hindemith, ''

Mathis der Maler ''Mathis der Maler'' (''Matthias the Painter'' is an opera by Paul Hindemith. The work's protagonist, Matthias Grünewald, was a historical figure who flourished during the Reformation, and whose art, in particular the Isenheim Altarpiece, i ...

'', with Rafael Kubelík * Paul Hindemith, '' When lilacs last in the dooryard bloom'd (Requiem "for those we love")'', with Wolfgang Sawallisch *

Franz Liszt Franz Liszt, in modern usage ''Liszt Ferenc'' . Liszt's Hungarian passport spelled his given name as "Ferencz". An orthographic reform of the Hungarian language in 1922 (which was 36 years after Liszt's death) changed the letter "cz" to simpl ...

, ''44 Lieder'', with

on the Deutsche Grammophon label * Carl Loewe, ''Carl Loewe Ballads and Lieder'', with pianist Jörg Demus * Carl Loewe ''Loewe: Balladen & Lieder'', with pianist

* Mahler, '' Das Lied von der Erde'', with Leonard Bernstein and the

Vienna Philharmonic The Vienna Philharmonic (VPO; german: Wiener Philharmoniker, links=no) is an orchestra that was founded in 1842 and is considered to be one of the finest in the world. The Vienna Philharmonic is based at the Musikverein in Vienna, Austria. It ...

* Mahler, ''Lieder'', with Daniel Barenboim, piano, on the EMI label * Mahler, ''

Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen ''Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen'' (''Songs of a Wayfarer'') is a song cycle by Gustav Mahler on his own texts. The cycle of four ''lieder'' for medium voice (often performed by women as well as men) was written around 1884–85 in the wake of ...

'' and '' Des Knaben Wunderhorn'', with Daniel Barenboim, Berliner Philharmoniker, on the Sony label * Mahler, ''Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen'' and '' Kindertotenlieder'' with orchestra, with Wilhelm Furtwängler and Rudolf Kempe, on the EMI label * Mahler, ''Kindertotenlieder'', with Karl Böhm * Mahler, '' Rückert-Lieder'', on the Deutsche Grammophon label *

Felix Mendelssohn Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), born and widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions include sym ...

, Lieder, with

, piano, recorded 1989 and 1991 for Claves Records, available in 2006 on Brilliant Classics * Mendelssohn, ''Paulus Oratorio'', with the ''Düsseldorfer Symphoniker'' conducted by Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, recorded 1976-1977, published by Sony ATV Publishing *

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...

and Haydn Discoveries, with

Reinhard Peters Reinhard Peters (2 April 1926 – 4 June 2008) was a German operatic conductor, violinist and an academic teacher at the Folkwangschule Essen. He was the '' Generalmusikdirektor'' for the opera companies Deutsche Oper am Rhein, Theater Münster a ...

and the Vienna Haydn Orchestra on the Decca label * Mozart, ''

The Magic Flute ''The Magic Flute'' (German: , ), K. 620, is an opera in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. The work is in the form of a '' Singspiel'', a popular form during the time it was written that in ...

'' with Ferenc Fricsay * Mozart, ''The Magic Flute'', with Karl Böhm * Mozart, ''The Magic Flute'', with Georg Solti (as the Sprecher) * Mozart, ''

The Marriage of Figaro ''The Marriage of Figaro'' ( it, Le nozze di Figaro, links=no, ), K. 492, is a ''commedia per musica'' (opera buffa) in four acts composed in 1786 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with an Italian libretto written by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It premi ...

'', with Karl Böhm * Mozart, ''The Marriage of Figaro'', with Ferenc Fricsay * Mozart, ''

Don Giovanni ''Don Giovanni'' (; Köchel catalogue, K. 527; Vienna (1788) title: , literally ''The rake (stock character), Rake Punished, or Don Giovanni'') is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Pon ...

'', with Ferenc Fricsay (in German) * Mozart, ''Don Giovanni'', with Karl Böhm * Mozart, ''

Così fan tutte (''All Women Do It, or The School for Lovers''), K. 588, is an opera buffa in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It was first performed on 26 January 1790 at the Burgtheater in Vienna, Austria. The libretto was written by Lorenzo Da Ponte ...

'', at least two different recordings are available, one starring Gundula Janowitz as Fiordiligi; the other starring

, both conducted by Karl Böhm. DFD plays Don Alphonso in both. * Mozart, ''

'', with

* Mozart, ''

Coronation Mass A Coronation Mass is a Eucharistic celebration, in which a special liturgical act, the coronation of an image of Mary, is performed. The coronation of an image of Mary is an act of devotion to her. It expresses the belief that Mary as mother ...

'' and ''Vesperae Solennes De Confessore'' with Eugen Jochum * Offenbach, '' Les contes d'Hoffmann'', as Lindorf/Coppelius/Miracle/Dapertutto on the EMI label * Orff, '' Carmina Burana'', with Eugen Jochum and the Chor und Orchester der Deutschen Oper Berlin on the Deutsche Grammophon label *

Hans Pfitzner Hans Erich Pfitzner (5 May 1869 – 22 May 1949) was a German composer, conductor and polemicist who was a self-described anti-modernist. His best known work is the post-Romantic opera ''Palestrina'' (1917), loosely based on the life of the ...

, Lieder, with Hartmut Höll, piano *

, ''

Palestrina Palestrina (ancient ''Praeneste''; grc, Πραίνεστος, ''Prainestos'') is a modern Italian city and ''comune'' (municipality) with a population of about 22,000, in Lazio, about east of Rome. It is connected to the latter by the Via Pre ...

'' as Carlo Borromeo, on DGG with Rafael Kubelik * Puccini, ''

'', with

, as well as excerpts in German with Anja Silja, on Decca Records * Reger, '' Hebbel Requiem'' with the Philharmoniker Hamburg and Gerd Albrecht * Reimann, ''Lear'', with the Bavarian State Orchestra on the Polygram label *

Gioacchino Rossini Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer who gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote many songs, some chamber music and piano pieces, and some sacred music. He set new standards ...

, '' Gugliemo Tell'' with M. Rossi * Schoeck, ''Lebendig begraben'', with Radio-Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, on the Deutsche Grammophon label * Schoeck, '' Notturno'', five movements für voice and string quartet, on EMI Classics * Schoeck, ''Lieder'', with Margrit Weber (piano) and Karl Engel (piano), on the Deutsche Grammophon label * Schubert, '' Deutsche Messe'', with

and the Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks on the Capitol label *

Schoenberg Arnold Schoenberg or Schönberg (, ; ; 13 September 187413 July 1951) was an Austrian-American composer, music theorist, teacher, writer, and painter. He is widely considered one of the most influential composers of the 20th century. He was as ...

, selected songs from Opp. 2, 3, 6, 12, 14, and 48, with Aribert Reimann, piano, on the Deutsche Grammophon label * Schubert, ''

'', with Gerald Moore, piano, on the Deutsche Grammophon label *Schubert, ''

'', with

, piano, on the Deutsche Grammophon label * Schubert, ''Winterreise'', with Jörg Demus, piano, on the Deutsche Grammophon label * Schubert, ''

'', with Gerald Moore, piano, on the Angel label * Schubert, ''Lieder'', with Gerald Moore, piano on the Deutsche Grammophon label * Schubert, ''Lieder'', with Sviatoslav Richter, piano on the Deutsche Grammophon label * Schubert, ''Missa Solemnis and Masses in C major and E flat major'', with Wolfgang Sawallisch and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra on the EMI label * Schubert, '' Schwanengesang'', with Gerald Moore, piano on the EMI label * Schubert, '' Schwanengesang'', a recital from 1948 with Klaus Billing, piano on the Myto label * Schubert, Lieder, with Hartmut Höll, piano, recorded 1987 for Claves Records, available in 2006 on Brilliant Classics * Schumann, ''

Dichterliebe ''Dichterliebe'', "A Poet's Love" (composed 1840), is the best-known song cycle by Robert Schumann ( Op. 48). The texts for the 16 songs come from the ''Lyrisches Intermezzo'' by Heinrich Heine, written in 1822–23 and published as part of Heine' ...

'', both '' Liederkreise'', and the complete lieder for male voice, with Christoph Eschenbach, piano, on the Deutsche Grammophon label * Schumann, both ''Liederkreise'', with Gerald Moore, piano, on the EMI label * Schütz ''St Matthew Passion'' SWV 479 Berlin Hugo-Distler Chor, dir. Klaus Fischer-Dieskau Archiv LP 1961Hans Joachim Moser ''Heinrich Schütz: a short account of his life and works'' 1967 – 121 "St. Matthew Passion (SWV 479) Soloists, Hugo-Distler-Chor, Berlin, conducted by Klaus Fischer- Dieskau Archive 198 174 (mono)," * Shostakovich, ''Suite on Verses of

Michelangelo Buonarroti Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (; 6 March 1475 – 18 February 1564), known as Michelangelo (), was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in the Republic of Florence, his work was in ...

'' and ''Four Verses of Captain Lebyadkin'', with

Vladimir Ashkenazy Vladimir Davidovich Ashkenazy (russian: Влади́мир Дави́дович Ашкена́зи, ''Vladimir Davidovich Ashkenazi''; born 6 July 1937) is an internationally recognized solo pianist, chamber music performer, and conductor. He ...

and the Radio Symphony Orchestra Berlin on the Polygram label * Shostakovich, '' Symphony No. 14'' with Bernard Haitink, Júlia Várady and the Concertgebouw Orchestra on the Decca label * Johann Strauss, ''

The Gypsy Baron ''The Gypsy Baron'' () is an operetta in three acts by Johann Strauss II which premiered at the Theater an der Wien on 24 October 1885. Its German libretto by Ignaz Schnitzer is based on the unpublished 1883 story ''Saffi'' by Mór Jókai. Jokai ...

'', with Willi Boskovsky * Johann Strauss, '' Die Fledermaus'', with Willi Boskovsky *

Richard Strauss Richard Georg Strauss (; 11 June 1864 – 8 September 1949) was a German composer, conductor, pianist, and violinist. Considered a leading composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras, he has been described as a successor of Richard Wag ...

, '' Elektra'', with Karl Böhm * Strauss, ''Lieder'', with Gerald Moore * Strauss, ''

Arabella ''Arabella'', Op. 79, is a lyric comedy, or opera, in three acts by Richard Strauss to a German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal, their sixth and last operatic collaboration. Performance history It was first performed on 1 July 1933 at the Dr ...

'', with

* Strauss, '' Die Frau ohne Schatten'', with Joseph Keilberth (Deutsche Grammophon; re-released on Brilliant Classics) * Strauss, ''

Salome Salome (; he, שְלוֹמִית, Shlomit, related to , "peace"; el, Σαλώμη), also known as Salome III, was a Jewish princess, the daughter of Herod II, son of Herod the Great, and princess Herodias, granddaughter of Herod the Great, a ...

'', with Karl Böhm * Strauss, ''

Der Rosenkavalier (''The Knight of the Rose'' or ''The Rose-Bearer''), Op. 59, is a comic opera in three acts by Richard Strauss to an original German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. It is loosely adapted from the novel ''Les amours du chevalier de Faublas'' ...

'', with Karl Böhm * Strauss, '' Ariadne auf Naxos'', with

Kurt Masur Kurt Masur (18 July 1927 – 19 December 2015) was a German conductor. Called "one of the last old-style maestros", he directed many of the principal orchestras of his era. He had a long career as the Kapellmeister of the Leipzig Gewandhaus O ...

* Strauss, '' Capriccio'', with Wolfgang Sawallisch *

, ''

Un ballo in maschera ''Un ballo in maschera'' ''(A Masked Ball)'' is an 1859 opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The text, by Antonio Somma, was based on Eugène Scribe's libretto for Daniel Auber's 1833 five act opera, '' Gustave III, ou Le bal masqué''. Th ...

'' (in German), with Fritz Busch * Verdi, ''

'', with

Lorin Maazel Lorin Varencove Maazel (, March 6, 1930 – July 13, 2014) was an American conductor, violinist and composer. He began conducting at the age of eight and by 1953 had decided to pursue a career in music. He had established a reputation in th ...

* Verdi, ''

Otello ''Otello'' () is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Arrigo Boito, based on Shakespeare's play '' Othello''. It was Verdi's penultimate opera, first performed at the Teatro alla Scala, Milan, on 5 February 1887. ...

'' with Sir John Barbirolli * Verdi, '' Falstaff'', with Leonard Bernstein * Verdi, ''

'', with

* Verdi, '' Aida'', with

* Verdi, ''

'' with Renata Scotto, Carlo Bergonzi, Rafael Kubelík and the La Scala Orchestra on the Deutsche Grammophon label * Verdi, ''

'', in German, with Ferenc Fricsay, 1948 (DFD's operatic debut) * Verdi, ''Don Carlos'', in Italian, with

Georg Solti Sir Georg Solti ( , ; born György Stern; 21 October 1912 – 5 September 1997) was a Hungarian-British orchestral and operatic conductor, known for his appearances with opera companies in Munich, Frankfurt and London, and as a long-servin ...

Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...

, ''

Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (; "The Master-Singers of Nuremberg"), WWV 96, is a music drama, or opera, in three acts, by Richard Wagner. It is the longest opera commonly performed, taking nearly four and a half hours, not counting two breaks between acts, and is tradit ...

'', as Hans Sachs, with Eugen Jochum and the Berliner Staatsopernorchester on the Deutsche Grammophon label * Wagner, ''Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg'', as Fritz Kothner the baker, with Andre Clutyens, at Bayreuth, 1956 * Wagner, '' Lohengrin'' with Rudolf Kempe (EMI), as Friedrich von Telramund * Wagner, ''Lohengrin'', with Eugen Jochum (conductor), Bayreuth Festival Orchestra, 1954, as the Heerrufer * Wagner, ''Lohengrin'', with Georg Solti, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, as the Heerrufer (Decca) * Wagner, ''

Der fliegende Holländer ' (''The Flying Dutchman''), WWV 63, is a German-language opera, with libretto and music by Richard Wagner. The central theme is redemption through love. Wagner conducted the premiere at the Königliches Hoftheater Dresden in 1843. Wagner cla ...

'', with Franz Konwitschny (EMI) * Wagner, ''

Das Rheingold ''Das Rheingold'' (; ''The Rhinegold''), WWV 86A, is the first of the four music dramas that constitute Richard Wagner's '' Der Ring des Nibelungen'' (English: ''The Ring of the Nibelung''). It was performed, as a single opera, at the National ...

'', with Herbert von Karajan (DG) * Wagner, ''

Götterdämmerung ' (; ''Twilight of the Gods''), WWV 86D, is the last in Richard Wagner's cycle of four music dramas titled (''The Ring of the Nibelung'', or ''The Ring Cycle'' or ''The Ring'' for short). It received its premiere at the on 17 August 1876, as ...

'', with Georg Solti and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra on the Decca label, as Gunther * Wagner, ''

Tristan und Isolde ''Tristan und Isolde'' (''Tristan and Isolde''), WWV 90, is an opera in three acts by Richard Wagner to a German libretto by the composer, based largely on the 12th-century romance Tristan and Iseult by Gottfried von Strassburg. It was comp ...

'', with Wilhelm Furtwängler * Wagner, ''Tristan und Isolde'', with Carlos Kleiber * Wagner, ''Tannhäuser'' with Otto Gerdes on DG * Wagner, ''Tannhäuser'' with

* Wagner, ''Tannhäuser'' with Franz Konwitschny * Wagner, ''

Parsifal ''Parsifal'' ( WWV 111) is an opera or a music drama in three acts by the German composer Richard Wagner and his last composition. Wagner's own libretto for the work is loosely based on the 13th-century Middle High German epic poem ''Parzival ...

'', with Hans Knappertsbusch (live at

Bayreuth Bayreuth (, ; bar, Bareid) is a town in northern Bavaria, Germany, on the Red Main river in a valley between the Franconian Jura and the Fichtelgebirge Mountains. The town's roots date back to 1194. In the 21st century, it is the capital o ...

, 1956, CD manufactured by Arkadia) * Wagner, ''Parsifal'', in studio with

Weber Weber (, or ; German: ) is a surname of German origin, derived from the noun meaning " weaver". In some cases, following migration to English-speaking countries, it has been anglicised to the English surname 'Webber' or even 'Weaver'. Notable pe ...

, Lieder, with Hartmut Höll, piano, recorded 1991 for Claves Records, available in 2006 on Brilliant Classics * Webern, selected early songs, with Aribert Reimann, piano, on the Deutsche Grammophon label *

Wolf The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, and gray wolves, as popularly un ...

, ''Frühe Lieder'', with Hartmut Höll, piano, recorded 1986 for Claves Records, available in 2006 on Brilliant Classics * Zemlinsky, ''

Lyric Symphony The ''Lyric Symphony'' (german: Lyrische Symphonie), Op. 18, was composed by Alexander von Zemlinsky between 1922 and 1923 and received its premiere in Prague on June 4, 1924, under the composer's direction. The work is in seven connected movement ...

'', with

As reciter

*Strauss, ''

'', with Burkhard Kehring, piano

As conductor

* Berlioz, '' Harold in Italy'' with violist Josef Suk and the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra on the Supraphon label * Brahms, Symphony No. 4, with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra on the Supraphon label * Mahler, '' Das Lied von der Erde'' with the Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart on the Orfeo label * Schubert, Symphonies No. 5 and 8 "Unfinished," with the New Philharmonia Orchestra on the EMI label *

, Arias from ''

'', '' Ariadne auf Naxos'', '' Die Liebe der Danae'', and '' Capriccio'', with Júlia Várady and the

Bamberg Symphony Orchestra The Bamberg Symphony (German: Bamberger Symphoniker – Bayerische Staatsphilharmonie) is a German orchestra based in Bamberg. It is one of the most prestigious orchestras in Germany. The orchestra was formed in 1946 mainly from German musicians e ...

on the Orfeo label *

Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...

'', Wesendonck Lieder'' with Júlia Várady, Deutschland-Sinfonie-Orchester, Orfeo

On video

*Schubert, ''

'', recorded July 1990, with

Murray Perahia Murray David Perahia () (born April 19, 1947) is an American pianist and conductor. He is widely considered one of the greatest living pianists. He was the first North American pianist to win the Leeds International Piano Competition, in 1972. Kn ...

(piano), from Sony Classical. *Schubert, ''Winterreise'', recorded January 1979, with Alfred Brendel (piano), Sender Freies Berlin (SFB), from TDK 2005. *Mozart, ''

'', Deutsche Oper Berlin, with Ferenc Fricsay, live performance in German, recorded 24 September 1961. Cast includes Pilar Lorengar, Elisabeth Grümmer, Walter Berry,

Erika Köth Erika Köth (15 September 1925 in Darmstadt – 20 February 1989 in Speyer) was a German operatic high coloratura soprano, particularly associated with the roles of Zerbinetta and Zerlina. Köth began a musical studies in Darmstadt with E ...

Donald Grobe Donald Roth Grobe (16 December 1929 – 1 April 1986) was an American lyric tenor who sang at the '' Deutsche Oper Berlin'' during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. He made his début in Chicago, in 1952, as Borsa in '' Rigoletto''. He sang at his firs ...

, and

Josef Greindl Josef Greindl (23 December 1912 - 16 April 1993) was a German operatic bass, remembered mainly for his performances of Wagnerian roles at Bayreuth beginning in 1943. Josef Greindl was born in Munich and studied at the Munich Music Academy with ...

. *Strauss (Richard), Mahler, and Schubert: "Schwarzkopf, Seefried, and Fischer-Dieskau", a DVD from EMI Classics. Includes Schwarzkopf playing the Marschallin and Fischer-Dieskau singing ''"Erlkönig"''. *Mozart, '' Le nozze di Figaro'' Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by

, from the

, 1963. A DVD from VAI. *Mozart, '' Die Zauberflöte'' (1971) Hamburg Philharmonic State Orchestra and Chorus of Hamburg State Opera, conducted by Horst Stein, directed by

Sir Peter Ustinov Sir Peter Alexander Ustinov (born Peter Alexander Freiherr von Ustinov ; 16 April 192128 March 2004) was a British actor, filmmaker and writer. An internationally known raconteur, he was a fixture on television talk shows and lecture circuits ...

. Fischer-Dieskau as the Speaker, with Hans Sotin as Sarastro, Nicolai Gedda as Tamino, Cristina Deutekom as Queen of the Night,

Edith Mathis Edith Mathis (born 11 February 1938) is a Swiss soprano and a leading exponent of the works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart worldwide. She is known for parts in Mozart operas, but also took part in premieres of operas such as Henze's '' Der junge Lord ...

as Pamina, William Workman as Papageno. A DVD from Arthaus Musik GmbH, Leipzig. *Verdi, ''

'', a live performance in German, with Pilar Lorengar, James King,

, and

Martti Talvela Martti Olavi Talvela (4 February 1935 – 22 July 1989) was a Finnish operatic bass. Born in Hiitola, Finland (now in the Republic of Karelia), the eighth of ten children

, conducted by

, from the '' Deutsche Oper'', 1965.

Books

*''Texte deutscher Lieder''. Deutscher Taschenbuchverlag, Munich, 1968. *''Auf den Spuren der Schubert-Lieder. Werden – Wesen – Wirkung''. F.A. Brockhaus, Wiesbaden, 1971. () Translated by Kenneth S Whitton as ''Schubert's Songs: A Biographical Study''. Alfred A. Knopf, 1977. () *''Wagner und

Nietzsche Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (; or ; 15 October 1844 – 25 August 1900) was a German philosopher, prose poet, cultural critic, philologist, and composer whose work has exerted a profound influence on contemporary philosophy. He began his car ...

: der Mystagoge und sein Abtrünniger''. Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, Stuttgart, 1974. translated by Joachim Neugroschel as ''Wagner and Nietzsche''. Continuum International, 1976. *''The Fischer-Dieskau Book of Lieder: The Original Texts of over 750 Songs'', translated by Richard Stokes and George Bird. Random House, 1977. () *''Robert Schumann. Wort und Musik. Das Vokalwerk''. Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, Stuttgart, 1981. translated by Reinhard G. Pauly as ''Robert Schumann Words and Music: The Vocal Compositions''. Hal Leonard, 1992. () *''Töne sprechen, Worte klingen: Zur Geschichte und Interpretation des Gesangs''. Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, Stuttgart/Munich, 1985. *''Nachklang''. Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, Stuttgart, 1988. translated by Ruth Hein as ''Echoes of a Lifetime'', Macmillan, London, 1989, and as ''Reverberations: The Memoirs of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau''. Fromm International, New York, 1989. () *''Wenn Musik der Liebe Nahrung ist: Kunstlerschicksale im 19. Jahrhundert''. Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, Stuttgart, 1990. *''Weil nicht alle Blütenträume reifen: Johann Friedrich Reichardt: Hofkapellmeister dreier Preussenkönig''. Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, Stuttgart, 1993. *''Fern die Klage des Fauns. Claude Debussy und seine Welt''. Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, Stuttgart, 1993. *'' aintings and drawings 1962–1994, a selection'. Nicolaische Verlagsbuchhandlung Beuermann, Berlin, 1994. *''Schubert und seine Lieder''. Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, Stuttgart, 1996. *''Carl Friedrich Zelter und das Berliner Musikleben seiner Zeit''. Nicolai Verlag Berlin, 1997. *''Die Welt des Gesangs''. J.B. Metzler Verlag, Stuttgart, 1999. *''Zeit eines Lebens – auf Fährtensuche''. Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, Stuttgart, 2000. *''Hugo Wolf. Leben und Werk''. Henschel Verlag, Kassel, 2003. *''Musik im Gespräch: Streifzüge durch die Klassik mit

Eleonore Büning Elisabeth Eleonore Büning (née Bauer; born 2 January 1952) is a German music journalist and writer, known for her opera reviews in the ''Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung''. Early life and education Elisabeth Eleonore Bauer was born in Frankfurt a ...

''. List Taschenbuch Verlag, Berlin, 2005. *''Goethe als Intendant: Theaterleidenschaften im klassischen Weimar''. Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Stuttgart, 2006. *''Johannes Brahms: Leben und Lieder''. List Taschenbuch Verlag, Berlin, 2008. *''Jupiter und ich: Begegnungen mit

Furtwängler Furtwängler is a German surname, originally meaning a person from Furtwangen. Notable people with the surname include: * Adolf Furtwängler (1853–1907), archaeologist and art historian * Maria Furtwängler (born 1966), physician and actress * Ph ...

''. Berlin University Press, 2009.

Notes

External links

Biography at Mwolf.com

On video singing Bach (YouTube)Singing Gluck, with Maria Stader (YouTube, audio only)Schubert's "Winterreise", on video (YouTube)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fischer-Dieskau, Dietrich 1925 births 2012 deaths Musicians from Berlin People from Steglitz-Zehlendorf Singers awarded knighthoods German operatic baritones 20th-century German male opera singers German male conductors (music) German prisoners of war in World War II held by the United States Lieder singers Grammy Award winners Knights Commander of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (civil class) Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medallists Honorary Members of the Royal Academy of Music Honorary Members of the Royal Philharmonic Society Members of the Academy of Arts, Berlin Benjamin Britten Deutsche Grammophon artists Recipients of the Praemium Imperiale Recipients of the Léonie Sonning Music Prize Ernst von Siemens Music Prize winners 20th-century German conductors (music)

Early years

Singing career

Retirement

Recognition

Awards

Personal life

Death

Partial discography

As singer

As reciter

As conductor

On video

Books

Notes

Further reading

External links