Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau sings 'O du mein holder Abendstern' (Wagner: Tannhäuser)

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
Berlin State Opera Orchestra / Franz Konwitschny
LP, Angel Records, SPRO 2900

[danielakerman]

The recitative alone is a masterclass in diction, phrasing, vocal color, managing vocal registers, and style.

[gabrielaxelriosrodriguezbu]

Ich war ein Kind wenn Ich Dietrich hörte in Ode an die Freude. Habe Ich nicht er vergessen.

[chesteralwes]

Every singer could learn from his impeccable, yet expressive diction.

[rileystanch]

Fischer-Dieskau is my favorite baritone ever! I picture my character in my novel to be singing this, as he is (or, was) a well-respected opera baritone from Germany.
(And he plays the harp, which is very prominent in this piece!)

[anitalouisegrunwald]

Transcendent...it is a totally different experience listening to Fischer-Dieskay

[davidsolomon]

He is THE master of this kind of music! His effortless production of the mezza voce must be the envy of baritones!

[sugarpacketchad]

My mother married a man in 1989 who sang this in college at Pepperdine. He died in 2002 and my mom died in 2023...

[berndjanke]

Einzigartig und bis heute unübertroffen!

[jesusmusicduke]

One of the best bits Wagner ever wrote IMO.

[amber]

the best! he has dynamics and feeling, tone color, legato and emotion!!! must take alot of control to sing that beautifully.

[juanjoseescrivasegui]

Es difícil superar la voz de este hombre,

[aepk]

Simply amazing, so "natural", how could it be bettered?

[nancydavies]

Yow, this was one of the best interpretations of "Abendstern"

[vittoriodipaola]

Amazing! I’d like to hear Tannhauser with such giant and Windgassen. The best ever

[captsub]

Great performance - excerpted from still the best complete Tannhäuser ever: Hopf, Grümmer, Frick, Wunderlich, Fischer-Dieskau, Konwitschny.... Bravi all 'round!

[vladimirorivas]

This is by far the best version of this aria-song.

[davidsolomon]

I read that someone had ACCUSED him of being a tenor who was hiding behind the safer terrain of baritones!

[JoeHarkinsHimself]

can someone help me understand a choice all Abendstern singers seem to make?


wenn sie entschwebt dem Tal der Erden,

ein sel’ger Engel dort zu werden!


Most singers I've heard pronouce "erden" as eer-den and ""werden", rhyming as "veer-den."


But in normal conversation - and confirmed by sources such as the Google Translate tool's vocalization, the correct pronunciation is "EHR-den and VEHR-den. That's also what I learned in school and heard speoken when ever those words cam up in conversation with native-speakers of German.


I guessing their may be some poetic precedent for singing this way. As a singer, I believe EHR-den is easier to sing than EER-den, so that does not seem to justify EER-den. Whatever the reason, I'd like to know. Anyone help me with that please?

[baritonebynight]

They just don't make 'em like DFD anymore!

[MsTatertots]

Hello! Would you mind telling me what year is this recording from? It's for a project! Thank you!