Sustaining intensity with even the tiniest sound, Appl’s baritone is velvety smooth, supported by Baillieu’s responsive piano at every turn.”
The Guardian“One of the great interpreters of song of his generation” Seen and Heard International
“His singing reached so many people and he touched their hearts with the art of song. For me he was more than just a teacher. Thank you, Dieter.”Benjamin Appl
Celebrated for a voice that “belongs to the last of the old great masters of song” with “an almost infinite range of colours”(Suddeutsche Zeitung), and for performances“delivered with wit, intelligence and sophistication” (Gramophone magazine), star baritone Benjamin Appl returns to Hong Kong with a stunningly-curated Lieder programme honouring his legendary mentor, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. As the final protégé of Fischer-Dieskau, this special programme presents a deeply personal homage to a mentor whose influence has profoundly shaped Appl’s artistic journey.
A former BBC New Generation Artist (2014-16), Wigmore Hall Emerging Artist and ECHO Rising Star (2015-16), Appl was also awarded Gramophone Award Young Artist of the Year (2016). Since then, he has graced major stages including Carnegie Hall, the Barbican Centre London, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, and Wiener Konzerthaus.
Appl will be joined by his long-term collaborator, the celebrated pianist James Baillieu, described as “in a class of his own” (The Daily Telegraph). The duo made their Hong Kong debut with Premiere Performances in 2018 and their sold-out Carnegie Hall debut in 2023. They will perform works by Schubert, Schumann, and more.
Programme
FIRST ENCOUNTER
SCHUBERT
Liebesbotschaft from Schwanengesang
SCHUBERT
Am Bach im Frühling
SCHUBERT
Der Musensohn
CHILDHOOD IN BERLIN
Albert FISCHER-DIESKAU
Heidenröslein from Singspiel Sesenheim
Klaus FISCHER-DIESKAU
Der Mutter gewidmet , Nocturne I, Op. 1, No. 1 (excerpt)
Klaus FISCHER-DIESKAU
Wehmut, Op. 3, No. 2
SCHUBERT
Der Lindenbaum from Winterreise
YOUTH AND FIRST STEPS AS A SINGER
BRAHMS
Wie bist du, meine Königin, from 9 Lieder and Songs, Op. 32, No. 9
WAR TIMES AND BEING A SOLDIER (1944/45)
WOLF
Andenken
REIMANN
Tenebrae from 5 Gedichte von Paul Celan, No. 3
PRISONER OF WAR (1945-1947)
TCHAIKOVSKY
Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt from 6 Romances, Op. 6, No. 6
KÜNNEKE
Ich bin nur ein armer Wandergessell from Der Vetter aus Dingsda
RETURN TO BERLIN (1947)
EISLER
Die Heimkehr from Hollywood Liederbuch
GRIEG
Der Traum from 6 Songs, Op. 48, No. 6
INTERVAL
FIRST STEPS OF A WORLD CAREER
BRAHMS
Vier ernste Gesänge
SONG ACCOMPANISTS AND FRIENDS
SCHUBERT
An mein Klavier
LOSS OF HIS FIRST WIFE IRMEL (1963)
LOEWE
Süßes Begräbnis from 12 Gedichte, Op. 62, Book I, No. 4
DEATH OF MOTHER THEODORA (1966)
EISLER
Mutterns Hände
MARITAL LIFE (Ruth Leuwerik 1965-1967 // Kristina Pugell 1968-1975 // Julia Varady 1977-2012)
SCHUBERT
Liebhaber in allen Gestalten
Clara SCHUMANN
Liebst du um Schönheit, Op. 12, No. 2
EPILOGUE
Carl WEBER
Meine Lieder, meine Sänger, Op. 15, No. 1
SCHUBERT
Litanei auf das Fest aller Seelen
SCHUBERT
An die Musik
James Bailieu, Piano
