Financial Support
Partner
Benjamin Appl introduces the programme on this podcast
(Please do not play the Podcast during the concert)
SCHUBERT
Liebesbotschaft from Schwanengesang
(3′)
SCHUBERT
Am Bach im Frühling (4′)
SCHUBERT
Der Musensohn (2′)
Albert FISCHER-DIESKAU
Heidenröslein from Singspiel Sesenheim
(2′)
Klaus FISCHER-DIESKAU
Der Mutter gewidmet , Nocturne I, Op. 1, No. 1 (excerpt) (1′)
Klaus FISCHER-DIESKAU
Wehmut, Op. 3, No. 2 (2′)
BRAHMS
Wie bist du, meine Königin, from 9 Lieder and Songs, Op. 32, No. 9 (5′)
SCHUBERT
Der Lindenbaum from Winterreise (5′)
WOLF
Andenken (2′)
REIMANN
Tenebrae from 5 Gedichte von Paul Celan, No. 3 (3′)
TCHAIKOVSKY
Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt from 6 Romances, Op. 6, No. 6 (3′)
KÜNNEKE
Ich bin nur ein armer Wandergessell from Der Vetter aus Dingsda (1′)
EISLER
Die Heimkehr from Hollywood Liederbuch (2′)
GRIEG
Der Traum from 6 Songs, Op. 48, No. 6 (4′)
BRAHMS
Vier ernste Gesänge, Op. 121 (18′)
I. Denn es gehet dem Menschen
II. Ich wandte mich, und sahe an
III. O Tod, wie bitter bist du
IV. Wenn ich mit Menschen und mit Engelszungen redete
SCHUBERT
An mein Klavier (3′)
BRITTEN
Proverb III from Songs and Proverbs of Wiliam Blake (1′)
LOEWE
Süßes Begräbnis from 12 Gedichte, Op. 62, Book I, No. 4 (3′)
EISLER
Mutterns Hände (2′)
SCHUBERT
Liebhaber in allen Gestalten (2′)
C. SCHUMANN
Liebst du um Schönheit, Op. 12, No. 2 (2′)
C. WEBER
Meine Lieder, meine Sänger, Op. 15, No. 1 (3′)
SCHUBERT
Litanei auf das Fest aller Seelen (2′)
SCHUBERT
An die Musik (3′)
“He let poetry resound and music speak”
Franz Grillparzer’s draft for Schubert’s gravestone inscription
An die Musik (To Music) expresses my great gratitude to Dieter Fischer-Dieskau for the many hours we spent together: ‘Beloved art, for this I thank you!‘
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau & Benjamin Appl in 2009
Source: Oxford International Song Festival
I met Fischer-Dieskau for the first time in 2009 when I took part in a masterclass at the Schubertiade Schwarzenberg. Afterwards he offered me the opportunity to study with him privately. From that point on until just a few weeks before his death, I had the incredible fortune of working with him regularly at his homes in Berlin and Berg.
Masterclass Schubertiade Schwarzenberg, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau & Benjamin Appl
(Please do not play the video during the concert)
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau was born in Berlin in 1925. His father was a schoolmaster who loved to compose, for example he wrote the Heidenröslein (Wild Rose) from Singspiel Sesenheim. Dieter’s mother was denied the opportunity to become a singer, so she ensured that great care was taken over the musical education of her three sons Klaus, Martin and Dietrich. The eldest brother, Klaus began composing at an early age and dedicated Nocturne to his mother, and Wehmut (Melancholy) to his brother.
It soon became clear that Dieter wanted to be a singer, and the first song he studied was Wie bist du, meine Königin (How blissful, my queen, you are).
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau sings Wie bist du meine Königin, 1955
(Please do not play the video during the concert)
Shortly before his military service in 1944, he became engaged to Irmgard ‘Irmel’ Poppen, his future wife. Torn from his homeland, he wrote many love letters full of longing for and memories of (Andenken) (My Thoughts) his distant beloved.
In 1944, the Nazis murdered Dieter’s younger brother Martin. During the early years of the war and Dieter’s subsequent imprisonment in Italy, he learned countless pieces of music, regularly hearing of the atrocities at the hand the National Socialists. Reimann’s Tenebrae (Darkness) deals with the suffering of Jewish victims during the Holocaust in a haunting way, and was written for Dieter.
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau’s singing gave strength to thousands of prisoners. Shortly after the end of the war, he sang songs from previously hostile countries for example Tchaikovsky’s Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt (Only those who know longing). His repertoire also included operetta Ich bin nur ein armer Wandergesell (I am just a poor wandering journeyman).
In 1947 he finally returned to Germany (Die Heimkehr) (The Return) and started his international career in Berlin where he began to receive major recognition (Vier ernste Gesänge) (Four Serious Songs).
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau makes his London concert debut at the Royal Albert Hall, 1951
Photograph: Hulton-Deutsch Collection/Corbis
Irmel gave birth to three sons, but tragically she died during the birth of her third child (Süßes Begräbnis) (Loving Burial). As is so often the case, Dieter saw music as the only path out of suffering (An mein Klavier) (To my piano). Another bitter moment of grief was the death of his beloved and mother Theodora (Mutters Hände) (Mother’s hands) to whom he was very close.
His private life in the years to come was not very stable: his marriage to the actress Ruth Leuwerik (1965-1967), famous from the filmVater braucht eine Frau (Father Needs a Wife), only lasted a short time, as did his marriage to Kristina Pugell (1968-1975) (Liebhaber in allen Gestalten) (Love in all guises). In 1977 he married the soprano Julia Varady (Liebst du um Schönheit) (If you love for beauty) .
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau & Julia Varady
Source: kranichphoto
Fischer-Dieskau received countless commissioned compositions during his lifetime, and took part in important premieres, such as the historically significant and emotionally stirring premiere of Britten’s War Requiem in 1962 which he then translated into German.
Teaching played an important role in Dieter’s later decades. Often demanding, strict and with a great attention to detail, he shared his unfathomable knowledge with his students. I fondly recall him telling me that he liked my recording of Sterb’ ich, so hüllen in Blumen meine Glieder (If I should die, then shroud my limbs in flowers) so much, that he would like to mentor me. From the many hours we then spent together, I particularly remember the moments when he felt unobserved, sharing his mischievous sense of humour and dancing through the living room.
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau & Benjamin Appl in 2010
Photography: Schubertiade
When I visited Fischer-Dieskau for the final time, it was just a few weeks before his death in May 2012. Coming away that day, I somehow felt that could be the last time I would see Dieter. I wrote him a very long letter, thanking him for the experiences we had shared and expressing my gratitude for all I had learned from him. And then a few weeks later, I learnt that he’d passed away.
This concert (and the accompanying CD recording) is both a personal and public dedication to this fine artist. I was and remain inspired by Dieter both from our private time together and his recordings, and this moment gives us all the chance to celebrate his enormous legacy on his 100th birthday.
Chinese surtitle translated by: Leon Chu
Baritone Benjamin Appl is celebrated for a voice that is described as belonging to “the last of the old great masters of song,” showcasing “an almost infinite range of colours,” according to the Suddeutsche Zeitung. His performances are noted for being delivered with wit, intelligence, and sophistication, as highlighted by Gramophone magazine. A former BBC New Generation Artist from 2014 to 2016, he is also recognized as a Wigmore Hall Emerging Artist and an ECHO Rising Star for 2015-16. In 2016, he received the Gramophone Award for Young Artist of the Year. That same year, he signed exclusively with Sony Classical and has since embarked on a multi-album deal with Alpha Classics, releasing his debut album, Winterreise, in February 2021 to widespread critical acclaim.
Appl’s musical journey began as a young chorister at the renowned Regensburger Domspatzen. He later continued his studies at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München and the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London. Under the mentorship of the legendary artist Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Appl describes their partnership as an “invaluable and hugely formative influence.” He regards Fischer-Dieskau as an inspiration, noting that he was always searching for a deeper understanding of music and life. Appl highlights him as a role model for thriving as an artist, emphasizing the importance of not just delivering performances but creating something new each time.
An established recitalist, Appl has performed at prestigious festivals such as Ravinia, Rheingau, Schleswig Holstein, Edinburgh, Heidelberg Frühling, and the Oxford International festivals, as well as the Schubertiade Schwarzenberg and the KlavierFestival Ruhr. He has graced major concert venues, including the Grand Théâtre de Genève, Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, Wigmore Hall in London, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Konzerthaus in Berlin and Vienna, Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, Musée de Louvre in Paris, and the Shanghai Symphony’s Music in the Summer Air Festival.
In equal demand as a soloist on the world’s most prestigious stages, Appl’s recent collaborators include renowned orchestras such as the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra with Klaus Mäkelä, Munich Philharmonic with Andrew Manze, and Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse with Ton Koopman. He has also worked with the Budapest Festival Orchestra, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra under Andreas Reize, NHK Symphony Orchestra with Paavo Järvi, Philadelphia Orchestra with Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Staatskapelle Dresden with Christian Thielemann, Philharmonia conducted by Maxim Emelyanychev, Seattle Symphony with Thomas Dausgaard, Vienna Symphony with Karina Canellakis, and many others.
Some of Appl’s recent recital debuts include prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, San Francisco Performances, Dallas Opera, the Boston Celebrity Series, New York’s Park Avenue Armory (where he performed all three Schubert song cycles), Sydney Opera House, Mozarteum Salzburg, and Festival St. Denis. He has also presented Winterreise three times at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona. A creative and innovative programmer, Benjamin actively seeks diverse and enriching onstage partnerships, collaborating with pianists like James Baillieu, David Fray, Alice Sara Ott, Arthur and Lucas Jussen, and Jorge Viladoms, as well as the Armida String Quartet, accordionists Martynas Levickis and Ksenija Sidorova, and lutenist Thomas Dunford.
Recent operatic highlights for Appl include his role and house debut as Harlequin in Ariadne auf Naxos at Liceu in Barcelona, as well as his performance as Papageno in Die Zauberflöte at Opéra de Rouen. He also made his role debut as Guglielmo in Così fan tutte with the Classical Opera Company, a role he revisited last season at Mozartfest Würzburg. In the 2024/25 season, Appl looks forward to making his operatic house debut at Hamburg State Opera as Papageno. He will also forge artistic partnerships in concert with the Oslo Philharmonic under Klaus Mäkelä, NFM Wroclaw, Le Concert Spirituel with Hervé Niquet, and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, where he will perform as a baritone soloist and make his European conducting debut.
A revered interpreter of early music, Benjamin Appl regularly collaborates with esteemed groups such as Les Talens Lyriques, the Gabetta Ensemble, B’Rock, Ensemble Masques, and the Berliner Barocksolisten. He is also comfortable in the realm of new music, having premiered compositions by notable composers including Nico Muhly, David Lang, and Matthias Pintscher. Furthermore, he has developed a significant long-term partnership with composer György Kurtág.
Appl’s growing discography includes his latest album for Alpha Classics, titled “The Christmas Album,” which will be released in Winter 2024. This album features a beautiful selection of European Christmas songs recorded with his former boys’ choir, the Regensburger Domspatzen, and his regular artistic partner, the Münchner Rundfunkorchester. His recent albums also include Forbidden Fruit, which BBC Music magazine describes as having “irresistible” programming, an album of orchestrated Schubert Lieder with the Münchner Rundfunkorchester, and a collection of Hans Sommer Orchestral Songs with the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin. Additionally, he has recorded Schumann duets with Ann Murray (DBE), accompanied by Malcolm Martineau, and a live recording of Schubert lieder with Graham Johnson for the Wigmore Hall Live label. His first solo album for Sony Classical, Heimat, was Gramophone nominated and won the prestigious Prix Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau for Best Lieder Singer at the 2017-18 Académie du Disque Lyrique Orphées d’Or. Other recent recordings include an album of Bach with Concerto Köln and Sibelius’s Kullervo with the BBC Scottish Symphony and Thomas Dausgaard for Hyperion Records.
Outside the concert hall, Appl recently appeared in a new realization of Schubert’s song cycle Winterreise, filmed in the Swiss Alps. Commissioned by the BBC and Swiss television station SRF and directed by John Bridcut, the film offers a unique and insightful interpretation of Schubert’s epic work and was broadcast on BBC4 in 2022. Additionally, he presented a series of programs for BBC Radio 3 titled “A Singer’s World” and starred in the film Breaking Music, which celebrates both Argentinian tango and German Lied traditions, breaking down traditional boundaries between musical genres.
Described by The Daily Telegraph as ‘in a class of his own’ James Baillieu is one of the leading song and chamber music pianists of his generation. He has given solo and chamber recitals throughout the world and collaborates with a wide range of singers and instrumentalists including Benjamin Appl, Jamie Barton, Ian Bostridge, Allan Clayton, Louise Alder, Tara Erraught, Lise Davidsen, the Elias and Heath Quartets, Dame Kiri te Kanawa, Adam Walker, and Pretty Yende. As a soloist, he has appeared with the Ulster Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra, and the Wiener Kammersymphonie.
A highlight of James’ 2024/25 season includes a long-awaited Wigmore Hall residency. The residency comprises three recitals with different recital partners, including acclaimed mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton. James continues to collaborate with many of his frequent recital partners including Allan Clayton, Cecilia Masabane Rangwanasha, Benjamin Appl, Tim Ridout, Veronique Gens and Ailish Tynan. James will join Young Classical Artists Trust for their anniversary European tour at venues including the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Cologne Philharmonie, Wigmore Hall, Schloss Elmau and Boulez Saal. Supplementary to James performance career, he will participate in the jury of the Bollinger Competition at the Wigmore Hall and coach at the Britten Pears Young Artist Programme. Future seasons see James tour with Lise Davidsen and Benjamin Appl, amongst others.
James is a frequent guest at many of the world’s most distinguished music centres including Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, the Metropolitan Opera House, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Vancouver Playhouse, Berlin Konzerthaus, Vienna Musikverein, the Barbican Centre, Wiener Konzerthaus, Bozar Brussels, Pierre Boulez Saal, Cologne Philharmonie, Wiener Staatsoper, Fundación Juan March and the Laeiszhalle Hamburg. Festivals include Aix-en-Provence, Verbier, Schleswig-Holstein, Festpillene i Bergen, Edinburgh, Spitalfields, Aldeburgh, Cheltenham, Bath, City of London and Brighton Festivals.
An innovative programmer, he has curated many song and chamber music festivals including series for the Brighton Festival, Wigmore Hall, BBC Radio 3, Verbier Festival, Bath International Festival, and Perth Concert Hall.
At the invitation of John Gilhooly, James Baillieu has presented his own series at the Wigmore Hall with Adam Walker, Jonathan McGovern, Ailish Tynan, Tara Erraught, Henk Neven, Iestyn Davies, Allan Clayton, and Mark Padmore amongst others. This series was shortlisted for the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Chamber Music and Song Award for an outstanding contribution to the performance of chamber music and song in the UK.
James was prize winner of the Wigmore Hall Song Competition, Das Lied International Song Competition, the Kathleen Ferrier and Richard Tauber Competitions, and was selected for representation by Young Classical Artists Trust (YCAT) in 2010 and in 2012 received a Borletti-Buitoni Trust Fellowship and a Geoffrey Parsons Memorial Trust Award. In 2016 he was shortlisted for the Royal Philharmonic Society Outstanding Young Artist Award.
Recording projects include ‘Forbidden Fruit’ (Alpha Classics), ‘Winterreise’ (Alpha Classics) and ‘Heimat’ (Sony Classical) with Benjamin Appl, the complete works of CPE Bach for violin and piano with Tamsin Waley-Cohen (Signum Records), and albums on the Chandos, Opus Arte, Champs Hill, Rubicon, and Delphian Record labels as part his critically acclaimed discography.
James Baillieu is a Senior Professor at the Royal Academy of Music, a coach for the Jette Parker Young Artist Program at the Royal Opera House, a course leader for the Samling Foundation, and is head of the Song Program at the Atelier Lyrique of the Verbier Festival Academy. He is International Tutor in Piano Accompaniment at the Royal Northern College of Music and a trustee of the Countess of Munster Musical Trust. Highly sought after for masterclasses worldwide, recent sessions of learning have brought him to the Aldeburgh Festival, Cleveland Institute of Music, Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, Friends of Chamber Music, Portland, Oregon, Vancouver Academy of Music, Canada, and to the University of Waikato, New Zealand.
Jamie Newall was born in Edinburgh and graduated from the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in 1980. He appeared on Coronation Street between December 2012 and January 2013 as the Reverend Douglas of Grawley Lane Chapel. Other TV credits include roles in Yes, Prime Minister, Menace Unseen, Devices and Desires, The Bill, Doctors, EastEnders, Sister Boniface Mysteries and The Crown, along with the films The Last Vermeer and The Laureate.
On stage, he has appeared in productions of Never the Sinner, Peter Pan, Nothing Compares to You, A Christmas Carol, The Alchemist, Waters of the Moon, Woman in Mind, Noises Off, Cornelius, Dorothea’s Story, The Doctor’s Story, Fred & Mary, Love’s Labour’s Lost and Much Ado About Nothing.
He has also been heard on several podcasts, most notably instalments of the Doctor Who franchise.
https://oxfordsong.org/artist/jamie-newall
