"Since this set of Schubert lieder (3 boxes, 21 cds in all) has become a legedary classic, I don't think I should make any comment. But just a suggestion to those who want to embark on these discs. Make up your mind on this journey. On facing such a tome record arranged and sung chronically, it's useless and wrong only to listen to some famous lieder or discs or just listen randomly. You should spare a long period of time, begin by listening from the very first disc to the last disc. And, during the period do not listen to any lied of other composers. Then gradually, lied by lied, disc by disc, you will forget this is Fischer-Diskau and Moore---This is a real life of a great soul! You are really touching and breathing with a great soul! Feel the sound of schubert, feel his struggle, his emotion, his feeling, his hate and love. Feel how those youthful spontaneous and raw lieder gradually developed into fully ripened masterpieces. Such wonderful experience belongs only to really patient listeners. It took me about 2 full weeks to listen to the whole 21 discs. Fischer-Diskau and Moore chose the "Abschied(Farewell)" to be the last lieder read (this song happened to be the only lied of Schubert to be recite with piano accompaniment, and which was composed during his final years). Thus the whole hundreds of lieder, or the whole life of Schubert, ended on this lied, farewell to the earth. It began with "Leb wohl, du schoene Erde (Goodbye, you beautiful Earth)". I will forever remember when I finally came into this lied, on the first words of Diskau's "Leb wohl, du schoene Erde" I trembled and cried from the very first note to the last note. My god, it's untouchable granduer."
An encyclopedic collection of Schubert songs by a singer and
Alan Majeska | Bad Axe, MI, USA | 10/24/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I bought this collection from a mail order firm in 1993, and can only call it "an encyclopedic collection of Schubert songs by a singer and pianist with an encyclopedic knowledge of Schubert songs."
I don't listen to these discs track to track, but rather selected tracks and keep this 9 disc set in my collection as an encyclopedia, for reference, rather than to listen to for hours on end.
This collection doesn't contain any of the 3 great Schubert song cycles: "Schwanengesang", "Die Schone Mullerin", or "Winterreise." Most of these songs are less than 5 minutes in length, but some are as long as 20 minutes, with Recitative/Aria/Recit./Aria pattern. Each disc is 70 minutes or more, making for a lot of music. Going dollar for music, it's a good deal!
I am very thankful for this release. Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (born 1925) seemed inexhaustable, making many lieder and opera recordings in the late 1960s/early 70s when these recordings were made for DG. His partnership with pianist Gerald Moore lasted many years, and they recorded many of these same lieder for EMI.
I won't attempt to go into detail describing different songs in this large collection, but if you love great singing and Schubert lieder, consider this as an investment in eternity. If you only want a disc of "Greatest hits" of this genre, consider the DG "Originals" release of Fischer-Dieskau with both Gerald Moore and Jorg Demus in different tracks.
You can tell I'm biased in favor of Herr Fischer-Dieskau and his singing, which is always beautiful here. I also love Schubert as sung by Hermann Prey (1929-1998): Philips Eloquence, and Decca (deleted); Janet Baker (Hyperion, with Graham Johnson); and Hans Hotter (EMI, with "Schwanengesang.")"
Track Listings (12) - Disc #1