Hello All,
If you’ll indulge me this week I would like to kill two birds with one stone by being a bit self-indulgent and sharing with you two videos of what I consider to be one of the two greatest pieces of music ever written while also giving you some more German to consider. The self-indulgence comes in because the piece contains about 40 seconds of German wrapped in a 7 minute aria. However, I think this can be a “change your life” piece of music. It’s the first aria from Bach’s solo bass cantata BWV #82 Ich habe genug. Chances are, no matter what your faith or lack thereof, you either have or will feel like what this piece expresses. That is the genius of Bach and why he is so important. Do yourself a favor and find a still moment (or 15 minutes worth of still moments) and listen to these two videos. As a side note, in recent years, it has become fashionable for all voice parts to perform and record this piece so it’s rep. potential for everyone.
The first singer on the docket is Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. Fischer-Dieskau was born in 1925 in Berlin and died just a few years ago. It’s fair to say that he was the most famous and prolific Lieder singer of all time. You could say he is to German Lieder what Ella Fitzgerald was to the American songbook. He was also possibly the most famous Bach bass of his time and also a fine opera singer.
Second is our old friend little Thomas Quasthoff. Let me know what you notice about their German (differences and/or similarities) but I want you to pay particular attention to how both of these singers make what most people consider to be a rough language, into an extraordinarily elegant legato sound world. Every language can be like this but it takes work and concentration. Technique can make beautifully sung language and beautifully sung language – that is to say, pure vowels and “sung” consonants – can make good technique. They’re not mutually exclusive. Singing is communication - words are communication - therefore diction - therefore 12:00 M, W in 306 Standard – therefore youtube videos.
Dietrich Fischer Dieskau
If you’ll indulge me this week I would like to kill two birds with one stone by being a bit self-indulgent and sharing with you two videos of what I consider to be one of the two greatest pieces of music ever written while also giving you some more German to consider. The self-indulgence comes in because the piece contains about 40 seconds of German wrapped in a 7 minute aria. However, I think this can be a “change your life” piece of music. It’s the first aria from Bach’s solo bass cantata BWV #82 Ich habe genug. Chances are, no matter what your faith or lack thereof, you either have or will feel like what this piece expresses. That is the genius of Bach and why he is so important. Do yourself a favor and find a still moment (or 15 minutes worth of still moments) and listen to these two videos. As a side note, in recent years, it has become fashionable for all voice parts to perform and record this piece so it’s rep. potential for everyone.
The first singer on the docket is Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. Fischer-Dieskau was born in 1925 in Berlin and died just a few years ago. It’s fair to say that he was the most famous and prolific Lieder singer of all time. You could say he is to German Lieder what Ella Fitzgerald was to the American songbook. He was also possibly the most famous Bach bass of his time and also a fine opera singer.
Second is our old friend little Thomas Quasthoff. Let me know what you notice about their German (differences and/or similarities) but I want you to pay particular attention to how both of these singers make what most people consider to be a rough language, into an extraordinarily elegant legato sound world. Every language can be like this but it takes work and concentration. Technique can make beautifully sung language and beautifully sung language – that is to say, pure vowels and “sung” consonants – can make good technique. They’re not mutually exclusive. Singing is communication - words are communication - therefore diction - therefore 12:00 M, W in 306 Standard – therefore youtube videos.
Dietrich Fischer Dieskau
Thomas Quasthoff
Score:
1. Arie B
Ich habe genug,
Ich habe den Heiland, das Hoffen der Frommen,
Auf meine begierigen Arme genommen;
Ich habe genug!
Ich hab ihn erblickt,
Mein Glaube hat Jesum ans Herze gedrückt;
Nun wünsch ich, noch heute mit Freuden
Von hinnen zu scheiden.
I have enough,
I have taken the Savior, the hope of the righteous,
into my eager arms;
I have enough!
I have beheld Him,
my faith has pressed Jesus to my heart;
now I wish, even today with joy
to depart from here.
Both have beautiful voices. Quasthoff had better consonants than Fischer. It was sometimes I could not understand Fischer words. Quasthoff pronounced the words very forward. Fischer long vowels were beautiful and I think we're very well did. There were times I didn't understand the difference of vowels with Quasthoff.
ReplyDeleteI have a rather unhealthy fixation with the work of Bach, and it was wonderful to hear these great singers bring his music to life. When hearing Quastoff, it almost seemed to me that he used those consonants to relax his voice and propell it further. I wonder how he does that.
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