Arts Blog

German-British baritone Benjamin Appl’s past recordings and recitals have explored subjects such as the idea of home (Heimat), the consequences of making choices (Forbidden Fruit), and the works of composers such as György Kurtág. Now on his latest album, For Dieter: The Past and the Future, Appl marks the centenary of the birth of arguably the greatest interpreter of Art song, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, born in Berlin on May 28, 1925.

This new release is of personal significance for Appl, who in his mid-twenties was invited to study with the great baritone, during what became the final weeks of the elder singer’s life. The experience had a profound impact on Appl, who has felt his mentor’s presence and influence over the years. For Dieter contains Appl’s personal playlist, inspired by Fischer-Dieskau’s teenage experiences in World War II, through an extraordinary career spanning six decades, dozens of recordings, and a life well-lived.