Fischer-Dieskau’s partner is 80 today

Fischer-Dieskau’s partner is 80 today

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norman lebrecht

March 04, 2016

Hat-tip to Aribert Reimann, accompanist to the great recitalist in the later stage of his career and a composer of two stark operas, King Lear and Medea.

reimann fischer-dieskau

 

Fischer-Dieskau personified his Lear.

reimann lear

Comments

  • Martin says:

    That’s Reimann.

  • John Borstlap says:

    Impressive postwar-hangover music.

    Dieter-Fischkau had visually aged considerably after the many rehearsels as we can see, and Cordelia could no longer endure them, which gave the stage director his brilliant idea of the last scene.

  • RW2013 says:

    Mr. Riemann should have stuck to compiling music encyclopaedias.

  • Ks Christopher Robson says:

    A GREAT composer, and a most gentle and generous man!! Happy 80th Aribert 🙂

    Btw, Norman, I’m not sure the late DFD would have quite seen the humour in your headline “…Dieskau’s Partner..”, though I am sure Aribert and his partner probably would 🙂

    • stefan says:

      There is no humour in that headline! It’s just a futile attempt to explain the existence of Aribert Reimann to the more ignorant readers!

  • Russell Platt says:

    “Lear” is quite an opera; I praised the recording in The New Yorker fifteen years ago. It will be done in Paris this spring.

    • David Murphy says:

      Wasn’t there a USA production with the great Thomas Stewart (San Francisco?) a while back I believe available on Opera depot.

  • David Murphy says:

    I must say having tried very hard with the vinyl set and the CDs I have (temporarily) given up. Like Kokkonen’s Last Temptations, built around a larger than life singing superstar (Martti Talvela in this case) Reimann’s Lear must have cost DG a fortune to record and produce. The OTT lavish booklets alone would finance many a recording project today. I will be returning to both operas (and Henze’s Boulevard Solitude) to try and experience what I am obviously missing.

    On a more appreciative note: Fischer-Dieskau ‘s Lieder aus neuen Wiener Schule accompanied by Reimann of Webern, Berg and Schoenberg songs recorded from a week long symposium on Berg in which the artists participated in Berlin their hometown. This is a great recital and the best possible advocacy for the vocal compositions of this era. Fischer-Dieskau sings at his best in his prime with Reimann the ultra sensitive pianist partner. A wonderful record. Much superior to the rather dry studio recordings of modern Lieder Fischer-Dieskau recorded for EMI around the same time.

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