Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau: Most Influential Singer Of The 20th Century

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau Albert Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau was a lyric baritone during the 1900s. A German native, Fischer-Dieskau, had a large voice full of resonance. He lived a long, successful life and would come to be known as the most influential singer of the 20th century (Sadie 6: 614; Kettle). Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau was born in Berlin, Germany on May 28, 1925. At a young age, Fischer-Dieskau enjoyed making music. His mother taught him how to play piano, and he continued to play all throughout his youth. After years of recreational singing, at the age of 16, he began professional training with Professor Georg A. Walter (mwolf.de/) Soon after Fischer-Dieskau’s work with the Professor, his life was turned upside down. As a child,
Some of these composers include: Samuel Barber, Hans Werner Henze, Ernst Krenek, Witold Lutoslawski, Siegfried Matthus, Winfried Zillig, Gottfried von Einem, and Aribert Reimann (mwolfe.de/). There were many composers who wrote works specifically for Fischer-Dieskau. The most memorable one was Benjamin Britten who wrote the War Requiem for Fischer-Dieskau in 1962 (Schrott). He also played Papageno in The Magic Flute (Lewis). Over the years, Fischer-Dieskau’s repertoire changed. After he became well known on stage, Fischer-Dieskau began digitally recording many works. He recorded many Italian and German operas. He also recorded many Bach cantatas (Lewis). The one work Fischer-Dieskau is most well known for is in lieder. His repertoire consists of over 1000 songs – more than any other singer ever. He recorded every male song written by Schubert, Schumann, and Wolf, and also recorded most of Beethoven’s, Brahm’s and Struass’s songs (Sadie 6: 614). He is mostly associated with the genre of classical music.
Wilhelm Furtwängler was probably the person who influenced Fischer-Dieskau more than anyone else. He was a conductor with who shared Fischer-Dieskau’s love of music. Another person who inspired Fischer-Dieskau was his partner, Gerald Moore. He was an accompanist who worked with Fischer-Dieskau for many years. Fischer-Dieskau also inspired Moore, himself. Moore said once that Fischer-Dieskau was a “master”. Fischer-Dieskau also worked with Russian pianist, Sviatoslav Richter. Other people who Fischer-Dieskau inspired included John Amis and critic John Steane who raved at how brilliant Fischer-Dieskau’s singing was (Kettle). Fischer-Dieskau’s voice is unique. The technique in his voice is near perfect, and he seldom made a mistake. He made every lyric he ever sang the perfect color according to the context of the song he was singing (Sadie 6: 614). Fischer-Dieskau’s voice was thought to be especially lyrical. His performances on stage had a feel of male sensitivity