The current program features a series of recitals dedicated to the German Lied, performed by Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and Hartmut Höll between the mid 1980s and late ‘90s in the Hans Rosbaud studio in Baden. These recitals were also recorded for television and will now be released by Hänssler Classic. Two of these evenings were devoted to the songs by Robert Schumann; what better way to commemorate the Schumann Year?

These recordings of the Baden-Baden Liederabende are particularly significant since Fischer-Dieskau, is universally acclaimed as “the' absolute master of lieder in the 20th Century. Of course, he excelled on the operatic stage as well. But early in his career he had had a love for song and his ability to identify with the intimate expressions of the poets and composers have fascinated millions of people.

As a bonus, this CD shows Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau in a different genre: that of the ballad. Ballads were a highly respected art form in the 19th Century, in whichthe singer, using a reciting voice was accompanied by the piano. Liszt and Schumann composed several excellent examples in this form. Finally, there is a work by Viktor Ullmann on a text by Rilke, which was composed in 1942 in the Theresienstadt concentration camp.