Benjamin Appl & James Baillieu
Benjamin Appl & James Baillieu
—Centenary of the birth of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
Notice
Considered one of the most influential baritones of the 20th century, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau redefined the Lied and marked a turning point in its history. On the centenary of his birth, Benjamin Appl —his last pupil— and pianist James Baillieu pay tribute to him with a recital that not only celebrates his legacy but also revisits it through admiration and artistic complicity. The programme, conceived by the performers themselves, draws an emotional and artistic portrait of Fischer-Dieskau through a journey spanning two centuries of music: from Schubert and Schumann to Britten, Reimann and Barber, with stops at Grieg, Tchaikovsky and Eisler. Each selected piece evokes a vital moment or a facet of the singer who elevated the Lied to the highest levels of interpretative artistry.
With a voice of great refinement and communicative power, Benjamin Appl has been described by The New York Times as “almost unbearably moving.” His return to the Palau, following his debut in 2019, invites us to rediscover the world of the Lied in a new light, in intimate dialogue with the subtle and expressive piano of James Baillieu, one of the most distinguished vocal accompanists of his generation.
An evening to be captivated by poetry turned into music and by the memory of one of the great masters who gave this art its meaning.
Performers
Benjamin Appl, baritone
James Baillieu, piano
Program
I part
FIRST MEETING
Liebesbotschaft, D957/1; Am Bach im Frühling, D361; Der Musensohn, D764
CHILDHOOD IN BERLIN
“Heidenröslein”, from singspiel Sesenheim
“Nocturne I”, from Der Mutter gewidmet op. 1/1; Wehmut, op. 3/2
YOUTH AND FIRST STEPS AS A SINGER
Wie bist du meine Königin, op. 32/9
TIME OF WAR AND SOLDIER 1944/45
Andenken
Tenebrae
PRISONER OF WAR 1945-1947
Sylvelin, op. 55/1
Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt, op. 6/6
Ich bin nur ein armer Wandergesell
RETURN TO BERLIN 1947
Die Heimkehr
Der Traum
II part
FIRST STEPS OF A WORLD CAREER
“Denn es gehet dem Menschen wie dem Vieh”, “Ich wandte mich, und sahe an”, “O Tod, wie bitter bist du” and “Wenn ich mit Menschen”, from Vier ernste Gesänge op. 121
ACCOMPANYING PIANISTS AND FRIENDS
An mein Klavier, D342
A Green Lowland of Pianos, op. 45/2
Proverb III, op. 74
DEATH OF HIS FIRST WIFE IRMEL 1963
Süßes Begräbnis, op. 62/4
DEATH OF MOTHER THEODORA 1966
Mutterns Hände
MARRIED LIFE
music fragment from the film Vater braucht eine Frau de Harald Braun
Liebhaber in allen Gestalten, D558
Liebst du um Schönheit, op. 12/2
EPILOGUE
Meine Lieder, meine Sänger, op. 15/1
Litanei auf das Fest Allerseelen, D343; An die Musik, D547