May 23: Benjamin Appl Honors his Mentor Legendary Baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau with Centenary Tribute Album and Extensive Booklet
Baritone Benjamin Appl Pays Tribute to his Mentor Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
Coinciding with May 2025 Centenary
For Dieter: The Past and The Future
Album + 140-Page CD Booklet by Appl on Fischer-Dieskau
Worldwide Digital Release Date: May 23, 2025
US CD Release Date: June 20, 2025
Alpha Classics
Pre-Save / Listen to Singles: https://lnk.to/ForDieterAr
“Appl’s voice has a burnished, oaky beauty as well as considerable sweetness, while the interpretations are suffused with a gentle intelligence, an instinct for unforced but direct communication and what feels like a real love for the repertoire.” – Gramophone
Review CDs and downloads available upon request.
www.benjaminappl.de | alpha-classics.com
German baritone Benjamin Appl pays tribute to his teacher and mentor, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (1925-2012), with For Dieter: The Past and The Future, to be released by Alpha Classics worldwide digitally on May 23, 2025 and on CD in the US on June 20, 2025, coinciding with Fischer-Dieskau’s centenary on May 28, 2025. Two singles – Heidenröslein from The Singspielsesenheim by Albert Fischer-Dieskau and Nur Wer Die Sehnsucht Kennt, Op. 6/6 from Tchaikovsky’s Six Romances – are available now. Appl’s next performances in North America include For Dieter concerts presented by San Francisco Performances on October 24, 2025 and Carnegie Hall in New York on October 28, 2025, with additional dates to be announced.
The repertoire on this monumental release is structured to reflect the major stages of Fischer-Dieskau’s incredible life and includes compositions by his family members Albert and Klaus Fischer-Dieskau, repertoire he sang as a soldier during World War II and as an American Prisoner of War in Italy, and pieces that were composed especially for him, as well as favourite lieder by Schubert. Appl is joined on the recording by one of his regular collaborators, pianist James Baillieu.
The album also includes a 140-page booklet created by Benjamin Appl, which contains a personal narrative written by Appl alongside historical insights and numerous previously unpublished photos and letters, offering a glimpse into who Fischer-Dieskau was as a person, outside of his obvious public successes and accolades.
Benjamin 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. Mentored by the legendary Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Appl describes the partnership as, “an invaluable and a hugely formative influence. He [Fischer-Dieskau] is an inspiration – someone who is always searching and seeking a deeper understanding of music and of life. He was a role model for how to prosper as an artist, never just delivering, but each time creating.”
Appl says, “The first time I heard [Fischer-Dieskau’s] voice was at school when I was twelve years old. In 2009, I applied for his master class at the Schubertiade in Schwarzenberg which was the start of a long and transformative relationship. I was fortunate to work with him on my entire repertoire over countless hours in his homes in Berlin and Bavaria.”
In an excerpt from the booklet, Appl writes of the experience working on this project:
I was very nervous when, on 1 September 2009, I went on stage in front of a full audience to work with Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau for the first time. After the four-day course he sent for me, gave me his personal contact details and offered me the opportunity to study with him privately. From that moment onwards I had the incredible fortune of working with him on my entire repertoire for countless hours at his homes in Berlin and Berg until just a few weeks before his death. To this day I regard this experience as one of the greatest gifts of my professional life.
It is thanks to curating this 100th anniversary celebratory album and related concerts that I have been able to spend countless hours over the past months and years studying an immense number of his letters, contracts, programmes, diary entries, photo albums and books. These were very personal moments for me, as they brought me closer not only to Fischer-Dieskau the artist but even more so to the man himself; they sharpened my memories of character traits I knew so well and also allowed me to observe new facets of his multi-lavered personality. This project is intended to provide a subjective representation of Fischer-Dieskau as well as to give an insight into the man behind all the great successes and accolades, and onto what moved him and what shaped him as a human being.
About Benjamin Appl: Benjamin Appl’s exclusive partnership with Alpha began with Winterreise which was received to outstanding critical acclaim in 2021, and released in parallel with a film commissioned by BBC 4 which followed Benjamin’s Winter Journey through the Swiss Alps, with Schubert’s music for company. His eclectic second album Forbidden Fruit followed in 2023, then in 2024, The Christmas Album reached number two on the UK Classical Charts – a recording combining traditional German and English carols with the Regensburger Domspatzen and Munich Radio Orchestra. Lines of Life: Schubert & Kurtág (released February 2025) is an album that celebrates the relationship between Benjamin and György Kurtág, in an intimate collection of performances from Kurtág on piano, alongside many of his own compositions. Appl’s latest release For Dieter: The Past and the Future is an equally heartwarming dedication, this time to his longtime mentor and friend, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, celebrating 100 years since his birth.
Benjamin Appl is a recipient of the prestigious Gramophone Young Artist of the Year Award and the title of both BBC New Generation Artist and Echo Rising Star. His career has led him to perform at some of the most prestigious festivals and venues worldwide. In Europe, he appears regularly at London’s Wigmore Hall, Schleswig Holstein, Rheingau, BBC Proms and Edinburgh Festivals, and he has performed at major concert venues including the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Gran Teatre del Liceu Barcelona, Royal Albert Hall and Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, to name but a few. Benjamin enjoys regular recitals stateside including at Carnegie Hall, Boston Celebrity Series, Park Avenue Armory New York, Dallas Opera, San Francisco Performances, and Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival.
Appl’s profile has led him to enjoy some significant musical partnerships with orchestras across the globe, including Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra/Klaus Mäkelä, Munich Philharmonic/Andrew Manze, Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse/Ton Koopman, Budapest Festival Orchestra, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra/Andreas Reize, NHK Symphony Orchestra/Paavo Järvi, Philadelphia Orchestra/Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Staatskapelle Dresden/Christian Thielemann, Philharmonia/Maxim Emelyanychev, Vienna Symphony/Karina Canellakis and many others, in repertoire ranging from Bach to Jörg Widmann.
A versatile artist, Appl enjoys performing on the opera stage. His recent and upcoming roles include Guglielmo in Cosí fan tutte, Harlequin in Ariadne auf Naxos, and Papageno in Die Zauberföte. www.benjaminappl.com
About James Baillieu: 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, and a Senior Professor at the Royal Academy of Music, alongside a coach for the Jette Parker Young Artist Program at the Royal Opera House. He has given solo and chamber recitals throughout the world and collaborates with a wide range of singers and instrumentalists including Benjamin Appl, Lise Davidsen, the Elias and Heath Quartets, Dame Kiri te Kanawa, and Adam Walker. James has performed at many of the world’s most distinguished music centres including Carnegie Hall, Metropolitan Opera House, Wigmore Hall, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Berlin Konzerthaus, and Vienna Musikverein. www.james-baillieu.com
Album Track List & Credits:
For Dieter: The Past and The Future | Benjamin Appl, Baritone & James Baillieu, Piano | Alpha Classics
Release Dates: May 23, 2025 (Digital Worldwide); June 20, 2025 (CD, US)
Recorded: April 27-30, 2024 at Deutschlandfunk Kammermusiksaal, Cologne (Germany)
Prologue
Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
[1] An Die Musik, D547 (Schober) [2:50]
Childhood in Berlin
Albert Fischer-Dieskau (1865-1937)
[2] Heidenröslein, From The Singspielsesenheim (Goethe)* [2:36]
Klaus Fischer-Dieskau (1921-1994)
[3] Nocturne I, Op. 1/1 (Excerpt) (Dedicated To Mother)* [1:08]
[4] Wehmut, Op. 3/2 (Goethe)* [2:30]
Teenage Years and First Steps as a Singer
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
[5] Wie Bist Du, Meine Königin, Op. 32/9 (Daumer) [3:57]
A Soldier in War 1943-1945
Hugo Wolf (1860-1903)
[6] Andenken (Matthisson) [2:20]
Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1897-1957)
[7] Liebesbriefchen, Op. 9/4 (Honold) [2:29]
Franz Schubert
[8] Strophe Aus “die Götter Griechenlands”, D677 (Schiller) [4:32]
Aribert Reimann (1936-2024)
[9] Tenebrae (Celan) [3:15]
A Prisoner Of War 1945-1947
Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
[10] Schöner Abend, L. 84 (Bourget/Fischer-Dieskau) [2:29]
Christian Sinding (1856-1941)
[11] Sylvelin, Op. 55/1 (Vislie/Henzen) [1:42]
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)
[12] Nur Wer Die Sehnsucht Kennt, Op. 6/6 (Goethe) [3:13]
Eduard Künneke(1885-1953)
[13] Ich Bin Nur Ein Armer Wandergesell (Haller/Rideamus) 1:39
Returning Home In 1947
Fanny Hensel (1805-1847)
[14] Ach, Die Augen Sind Es Wieder (Heine) 1:23
Hanns Eisler (1898-1962)
[15] Die Heimkehr (Brecht) [1:42]
Klaus Fischer-Dieskau (1921-1994)
[16] Aus Schmerzen Und Freuden Geboren, Op. 22/1 (Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau)* [2:28]
Birth of Three Sons
Bruno Walter (1876-1962)
[17] Des Kindes Schlaf (Eichendorff) [1:57]
Song Accompanists and Friends
Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
[18] An Mein Klavier, D342 (Schubert) [4:04]
Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)
[19] Proverb III, From Songs and Proverbs of William Blake, Op. 74 (Blake) 0:57
The Bitter Loss of Irmel, His First Wife In 1963
Carl Loewe (1796-1869)
[20] Süßes Begräbnis, Op. 62/4 (Rückert) [2:56]
Death of His Mother Theodora In 1966
Hanns Eisler (1898-1962)
[21] Mutterns Hände (Tucholsky) [2:07]
Marital Life
(Ruth Leuwerik 1965-1967, Kristina Pugell 1968-1975, Julia Varady 1977-2012)
Franz Grothe (1908-1982)
[22] Excerpt From Music For The Film: Vater Braucht Eine Frau [1:26]
Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
[23] Liebhaber In Allen Gestalten, D558 (Goethe) [1:38]
Clara Schumann(1819-1896)
[24] Liebst Du Um Schönheit, Op. 12/2 (Rückert) [2:13]
Commissions and World Premieres
Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)
[25] Hörnersang, Op. 66 from War Requiem (Owen/Fischer-Dieskau) [2:49]
Samuel Barber (1910-1981)
Three Songs, Op. 45 (1974)
[26] Now I Have Fed and Eaten Up the Rose (Keller/Joyce) [1:59]
[27] A Green Lowland of Pianos (Harsymowicz/Miłosz) [2:15]
[28] O Boundless, Boundless Evening (Heym/Middleton) [3:04]
Teaching and Personal Experiences
Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
[29] An die Laute, D905 (Rochlitz) [1:36]
Hugo Wolf (1860-1903)
[30] Sterb’ ich, so hüllt in Blumen meine Glieder (Heyse) [2:39]
Farewell To Stage
Carl Maria Von Weber (1786-1826)|
[31] Meine Lieder, meine Sänge, Op. 15/1 (Löwenstein-Werthheim) [2:58]
Epilogue
Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
[32] Requiem, Op. 90/7 (Dreves) [3:51]
Total Time: 79:00
* World premiere recording
A co-production between Benjamin Appl, Deutschlandradio & Alpha Classics / Outhere Music France 2025
Alpha Classics Director: Didier Martin
Executive Producer: Mascha Drost (Dlfkultur)
Recording Producer: Michael Havenstein
Sound Engineer: Eva Pöpplein
Production: Louise Burel
Editorial coordination: Amélie Boccon-Gibod
French Adaptation: Claire Boisteau
English Translation: Peter Lockwood
Design & Artwork: Valérie Lagarde
Front Cover, Back Cover & Inside Photos (pp. 27, 53, 81, 109, 140): David Ruano
Front Cover: Selbst (dispersion, 75cmx75cm), 1985
p.27: Grunewaldsee (oil, 80cmx60cm), 1961, p.109: Luzern (ink, 15cmx21cm), 1979, p. 140: Selbst (dispersion, 75cmx75cm), 1985
Back Cover: Weg nach Münsing (acrylic/dispersion, 50cmx60cm), 1984