Great Recordings Of The Century - Schubert: Die Schone Mullerin / Fischer-Dieskau, Moore

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com essential recording
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau has become an all-pervasive and increasingly mannered recording presence in the last few decades of his life. As a result, it takes an earlier, fresher recording such as this to remind you what a great singer he was. This 1961 outing with Schubert's second-greatest song cycle (the first being Winterreise) is consistently lively, straightforward, passionate, and sincere, almost completely devoid of the show-off trickery that mars many of his later efforts. Best of all, the voice has a supple richness that allows him to sound boyish at the start of this song cycle about a heartbroken youth, though he also has a vocal weight to go to the depths of tragedy as the protagonist experiences escalating devastation. Gerald Moore accompanies with his customary discreet intelligence. This recording has achieved classic status for good reason. --David Patrick Stearns

Tracks:

Die Schone Mullerin (The Maid of the Mill): Der Dichter, Als Prolog
Die Schone Mullerin (The Maid of the Mill): Das Wandern
Die Schone Mullerin (The Maid of the Mill): Wohin?
Die Schone Mullerin (The Maid of the Mill): Halt!
Die Schone Mullerin (The Maid of the Mill): Danksagung An Den Bach
Die Schone Mullerin (The Maid of the Mill): Am Feierabend
Die Schone Mullerin (The Maid of the Mill): Der Neugierige
Die Schone Mullerin (The Maid of the Mill): Ungeduld
Die Schone Mullerin (The Maid of the Mill): Morgengruss
Die Schone Mullerin (The Maid of the Mill): Des Mullers Blumen
Die Schone Mullerin (The Maid of the Mill): Tranenregen
Die Schone Mullerin (The Maid of the Mill): Mein!
Die Schone Mullerin (The Maid of the Mill): Pause
Die Schone Mullerin (The Maid of the Mill): Mit Dem Grunen Lautenbande
Die Schone Mullerin (The Maid of the Mill): Der Jager
Die Schone Mullerin (The Maid of the Mill): Eifersucht Und Stolz
Die Schone Mullerin (The Maid of the Mill): Die Liebe Farbe
Die Schone Mullerin (The Maid of the Mill): Die Bose Farbe
Die Schone Mullerin (The Maid of the Mill): Trockne Blumen
Die Schone Mullerin (The Maid of the Mill): Der Muller Und Der Bach
Die Schone Mullerin (The Maid of the Mill): Des Baches Wiegenlied
Die Schone Mullerin (The Maid of the Mill): Epilog

Amazon.com essential recording

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau has become an all-pervasive and increasingly mannered recording presence in the last few decades of his life. As a result, it takes an earlier, fresher recording such as this to remind you what a great singer he was. This 1961 outing with Schubert's second-greatest song cycle (the first being Winterreise) is consistently lively, straightforward, passionate, and sincere, almost completely devoid of the show-off trickery that mars many of his later efforts. Best of all, the voice has a supple richness that allows him to sound boyish at the start of this song cycle about a heartbroken youth, though he also has a vocal weight to go to the depths of tragedy as the protagonist experiences escalating devastation. Gerald Moore accompanies with his customary discreet intelligence. This recording has achieved classic status for good reason. --David Patrick Stearns

Customer Reviews:

Mesmerizing and Exquisite.......2007-03-30

I can't think of words other than those in my title to describe this recording. It's so lovely beyond words, truly. The singing and the accompaniment both perfection. The listener feels transported to the place and time, long past now, wherein the action of the story takes place. I suppose being able to understand the German may be necessary to get the full effect, but even if not, the liner notes are good. I'd say this is definitely a must-have CD for music lovers.

Fischer-Dieskau and Schubert: what do you expect?.......2004-07-05

The best, of course. And this recording is wonderful, as usual. I'm sort of getting bored writing reviews praising Fischer-Dieskau to the skies, but quite simply, any music lover needs to have this recording in his collection.

It's one of the great song-cycles, and it's Fischer-Dieskau at his best. And there's the typical Fischer-Dieskau attitude: to go with the flow of the song and the cycle.

DSM may not be as fulfilling or as incredibly moving as Die Winterreise, but it does have its Höhepunkts: the coming of the hunter, where Fischer-Dieskau, almost predictably, sounds noticeably irritated; in 'die böse Farbe', in which he sounds as weepy as we expect the miller to be; in 'Trockne Blumen', where he sounds as heartbroken as we expect the miller to sound.

As for DSM taken by itself, I have this to say to newcomers to Schubert: listen to this before you listen to Die Winterreise or Schwanengesang. It's more down to earth, more accessible. And this is by far the best baritone recording of DSM you can get out there.

Comment on Editorial Review.......2003-11-28

My view of this recording is summarised by the rating I give it.
I'm wrting to comment on the Editorial Review, which claims Fischer-Dieskau gave "mannered" accounts of the music he performed. This view is totally subjective... Some people feel that way, some people totally disagree... The performances surely have character, but don't take it for granted that this character gets in the way of the music. For me, it surely does *not*.

Schubert - Die Schone Mullerin - Fischer-Dieskau/Moore.......2002-02-11

Quite simply the perfect combination of singer and accompanist;
The greatest male singer of the 20th Century allied to the champion accompanist, recorded when Fischer-Dieskau was at his peak. I have it in every medium from plastic through cassetes and video to CD and it never disappoints. The cycle is the ultimate in contrasts, and more than any other, the separate songs stand on their own as well as part of a group. The spirit and integrity come through, even to the listener, like myself, whose knowledge of German extends little beyond "Danke Schone" and "Wunderbar", which are probably the only two phrases I need to espress my opinion of, and gratitude to, Fischer-Dieskau for the pleasure he has given down the years, always with unfailing taste.

A truly great performance.......2001-07-20

I had the pleasure of hearing Fischer-Dieskau live back in the 60s. This recording captures him at his peak. His interpretation of Schubert's masterpiece is brilliant. His enunciation is wonderful. You can really follow the lines of poetry as he sings. I caught myself unawares singing along with the CD (to the consternation of my wife). Even if you don't know German, you can easily find your place in the translation of the text. His musical technique is perfect. It's hard to praise this recording enough.

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