THE ART OF THE LIED
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau & Gerald Moore/Jörg Demus/ Christoph
Eschenbach (Piano) Fritz Wunderlich & Hubert Giesen (Piano) Christa Ludwig
& Irwin Gage (Piano) Jessye Norman & Daniel Barenboim (Piano)
Deutsche Grammophon 1 CD-pluscore 445 188-2
(62.24)
Crotchet
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SCHUBERT: Erlkönig D.328 Ständchen (Horch, horch!
die Lerch im Ätherblau) D.889 Geheimes D.719 Wanderers Nachtlied II
D.768 Heidenröslein D.257 An die Musik D.547 Das Wandern D.795 no.1
Ungeduld D.795 no.7 (Die schöne Müllerin D.795) Die Forelle D.550
Gretchen am Spinnrade D.118 Der Tod und das Mädchen D.531 Lachen und
Weinen D.777Frühlingsglaube D.686
SCHUMANN: Marienwürmchen op.79 no.13 (Lieder für die
Jugend op.79) Der Nußbaum op.25 no.3 Die Lotosblume op.25 no.7 Du bist
wie eine Blume op.25 no.24 (Myrthen op.25) Mondnacht op.39 no.5
Frühlingsnacht op.39 no.12 (Liederkreis op.39) Im wunderschönen
Monat Mai op.48 no.1 Aus meinen Tränen sprießen op.48 no.2 Ich
grolle nicht op.48 no.7 (Dichterliebe op.48)
BRAHMS: Liebestreu op.3 no.1 Der Schmied op.19 no.4 Des Liebsten
Schwur op.69 no.4 Sapphische Ode op.94 no.4 Therese op.86 no.1 Vergebliches
Ständchen op.84 no.4
This is a CD-pluscore release whose potential importance for
the record industry cannot be exaggerated; a benchmark for the future. I
have recently berated record companies for the lack of texts and paucity
of information in CDs of song (notably EMI Classics for their frustrating
Fischer-Dieskau collection of songs by mainly obscure composers
[7243 5
67349 2 0].)
Developed by Schott Musik International and MusicNotes Ltd. and published
in cooperation with Deutsche Grammophon, CD-Pluscore offers interactive
listening capabilities for pleasure and as a comprehensive learning tool
for music students and other music makers (more information available from
pluscore@schott-music.com).
After you select a track, the score is displayed on the screen. You can scroll
through the pages, up or down. While the music is playing, the portion of
the score being played is displayed automatically. You can listen to the
music and follow the score simultaneously, stop, pause, loop & move between
tracks, annotate the scores with your own tempo indications, ties or slurs,
fingerings, ornaments or text, and thereby create your own individual edition!
With MIDI there are numerous further possibilities. CD-pluscore provides
top-quality printing and allows you to make custom-made editions! It also
provides a range of detailed information on the pieces contained, the composer
and the performers, as well as a picture gallery, with guides to take you
through the items.
On this example, you can see informal photos of each of the singers with
their pianists, which enhances listening pleasure. You can split the screen
and have a translation in your own language (whatever it is) alongside the
score's vocal line in the original German, and you can even choose to follow
An der Musik from a facsimile copy in Schubert's own handwriting,
printing it out afterwards for your own collection.
These performances are reissues of well known performances by great singers
from recordings dating from 1959 to 1982, satisfactorily remastered. All
are fine examples of Lieder singing; favourite songs interpreted by some
of the best loved singers of the time. Least known of them may be the tenor
Fitz Wunderlich who died at 36. Ten of the 28 tracks are by Fischer-Dieskau,
who is celebrated especially for his elevation of the importance of words
in Lieder interpretation. Quite apart from its pluscore features,
this is an exemplary production. There is a good short essay by Alan Blyth,
pictures of the composers and singers, and the sensible use of thin, strong
paper makes room for a 60 page booklet in the jewel-case, with all texts
in four languages printed in good, legible black ink. There are many lessons
here for other record producers and one can only hope that this approach
will soon become routine, even for those for whom the costs of pluscore
or musicnow's CD-extra system (see my review of
Brian Dennis a little Water Music
MNCD+001) are prohibitive.
Until then, there may be help on hand for frustrated purchasers on Emily
Ezust's website:
The Lied and Song Texts Page:
http://www.lieder.net/
Reviewer
Peter Grahame Woolf
