Schubert: Winterreise D911 - DVD video

Christa Ludwig is acknowledged as one of the twentieth century’s most explorative and complete vocal artists. Her professional singing career spanned five decades and, as a star of the international operatic stage, she made roles as diverse as Rosina, Dorabella, Cherubino, Leonore, Amneris, Eboli, Kundry, Ortrud, Clytemnestra and the Marschallin her own, excelling in soprano, mezzo and coloratura mezzo repertoire. She also established her reputation as a fine lieder singer. The intimate auditorium of the magnificent neo-baroque Volkstheater in Vienna was packed with a discerning and enthusiastic audience when Christa Ludwig gave a master class there.

The young singers who took part – Valerij Serkin (tenor), Stella Grigorian (mezzo) and Marcus Pelz (baritone) – were all studying at an advanced level, with their sights set on finding success as professionals on the operatic stage. Christa Ludwig focused the time she spent with each singer on helping them to fi nd the dramatic truth expressed in the aria of their choice and advising on how they could communicate this in their interpretation. With her guidance, their characterisations are seen to take on a new depth in just a short space of time. The master class focuses on Mozart and concludes with a performance extract featuring the young Christa Ludwig as Dorabella in Così fan tutte (1970).

World famous tenor Christoph Prégardien continues his series of recordings for Challenge Classics of Schubert song-cycles, with what many consider to be the composer’s greatest work in the genre “Winterreise”. As with previous critically acclaimed releases in the series the pianist is Michael Gees. This DVD release features video of a performance of the work as well as the documentary “Winterreise, Der dritte Weg” (Winterreise, the third way), which presents interviews with Prégardien and Gees and behind-the-scenes footage of the studio recording process.

DVD specifications:

Region code: 0 (region free)

Rating: E (exempt)

Picture format: 16:9, NTSC (region free)

Sound format: Stereo Dolby Digital 2.0, Surround Dolby Digital 5.1

Franz Schubert’s song cycle Winterreise was written late in his life. It is regarded both as a highlight of the genre and as the touchstone by which lieder singers are judged. To succeed in interpreting Winterreise is the artistic equivalent of a patent of nobility for a singer. The song cycle certainly became one of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau’s calling cards and it is probably this work that made the baritone an international household name. In this recording made for the Sender Freies Berlin in January 1979, we see two of the leading musicians of their day in the prime of their lives and at the very peak of their art and experience appearing together in the service of Schubert’s Winterreise. Both the experienced Schubert lieder singer and the Austrian pianist Alfred Brendel, known throughout the world for his authoritative interpretations of Schubert’s piano music – had performed Winterreise together frequently between 1975 and 1989.

In 1991, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau finally agreed to perform Schubert’s Die Schöne Müllerin at the Feldkirch Schubertiade - he had not sung the song-cycle in public for twenty years. The great baritone belonged to the innermost circle of artists who give this unique, Austrian festival of chamber music its distinctive character. He had performed Schubert there on many occasions, but never Die Schöne Müllerin. The pianist András Schiff was another long-standing member of the inner circle, but this was the artists’ first collaboration in Feldkirch – and so Austrian Television (ORF) recorded the concert.

BONUS: The Rehearsal & Fischer-Dieskau in conversation

Sound Format: PCM Stereo

Picture Format: 4:3

DVD Format: DVD 5 & DVD 9 / NTSC

Subtitle Languages: DE (Original Language), GB, FR, IT, ES

Running Time: 135 mins (performance) + 76 mins (bonus)

FSK: 0

Franz Schubert’s song cycle Winterreise was written late in his life. It is regarded both as a highlight of the genre and as the touchstone by which lieder singers are judged. To succeed in interpreting Winterreise is the artistic equivalent of a patent of nobility for a singer. The song cycle certainly became one of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau’s calling cards and it is probably this work that made the baritone an international household name. Time and again his interpretation could be heard in the concert hall, at festivals, on the radio and on numerous records.

In this recording made for the Sender Freies Berlin in January 1979, we see two of the leading musicians of their day in the prime of their lives and at the very peak of their art and experience appearing together in the service of Schubert’s Winterreise. Both the experienced Schubert lieder singer and the Austrian pianist, known throughout the world for his authoritative interpretations of Schubert’s piano music – had performed Winterreise together frequently between 1975 and 1989. In a way, Fischer-Dieskau’s approach to Schubert’s Winterreise has become the touchstone for today’s singers. This recording of rehearsal and concert offer a glance into the development of a masterly interpretation of a masterwork.

Bonus: The Rehearsal - This 56-minute documentary offers fascinating insights into how Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and Alfred Brendel rehearsed prior to their recording of Schubert’s “Winterreise”.

Sound Format: PCM Stereo

Picture Format: 4:3

DVD Format: DVD 9, NTSC

Subtitle Languages: DE, GB, FR, ES, IT

Running Time: 73 mins & 56 mins (Bonus)

FSK: 0

'In his best interpretations, Prey presented Winterreise and Die schöne Müllerin with a natural, organic flow of voice that stands in high contrast to the more intellectual approach of his rival Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau.' (Zeit online 1998)

plus Documentary (38 minutes)

255 minutes

4:3. color

DD 5:1, PCM Stereo

German (original language), French, English, Spanish

NTSC: Amaray 2 DVD

German, French, English

These are historic 60s & 70s BBC films, long locked away in the BBC archive.

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