German
label Audite has been busy issuing radio recordings that
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau made in his early years on German
radio. After a first series featuring works by Schubert,
Mahler, Brahms and
Schumann ,
they now move to another line entitled
Edition Fischer-Dieskau (ree
review of
Volume IV- Beethoven & Brahms). These originate from the
1950s near the start of his
career.
The
present disc features a selection of songs by Hugo Wolf,
one of the composers for whom he had a special affinity,
He sang and recorded them often throughout his career. With
recordings here from three periods, late-1948, mid-1949 and
late-1953, this collection gives a panorama of Fischer-Dieskau’s
Wolf of the early years.
His
voice, in these years, is much more impetuous than in his
peak years of the 1960s-1970s. One has a feeling that he’s
trying to find the right tone, and he hits it often - such
as in another Audite recording of Schubert’s
Winterreise in
1952. One also has the feeling that he is learning to sing
for the radio as well. In the earliest recordings he seems
to hold back a bit, and in the 1953 recordings he occasionally
sings too loud, causing minor distortion. Yet these are clear
and well-produced, showing an excellent level of attention
to the sound by the part of the original radio engineers
and by Audite’s team. The 1949 recordings sound a bit drier
than the others, with the piano a bit distant and the voice
at times too present. This is apparent in the loudest parts
of
Wer Sich Der Einsamkeit Ergibt. There’s also a
little bit of distortion in the loudest sections. Overall,
though, the three sessions here sound excellent, given their
age.
As
for the performances, if you are a fan you will find much
to like. These early years show a voice that has not yet
found its “center”, that is searching for the right balance.
At times, this means that he seems to be testing the waters
with tone and intensity, which can often lead to very interesting
choices.
All
in all, DF-D fans will likely scoop up this and the other
discs in the series as soon as possible. Any “new” recording
of this golden voice is worth hearing. While occasional lieder
fans might not see the need for these discs, and stick with
the established recordings of the 1960s and 1970s, completists
will find these essential listening capturing Fischer-Dieskau
in early-blooming maturity.
Kirk McElhearn
Dietrich
Fischer-Dieskau (baritone); Hertha Klust (piano) (1-11),
Walther Welsch (piano) (12-14), Rudolf Wille
(piano) (15-19). ADD 
