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Soloists:

Alfred Brendel (piano), Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone)

Franz Schubert composed his song cycle Winterreise towards the end of his life. It is considered both the pinnacle of the genre and the benchmark by which lied singers are judged. A successful interpretation of Winterreise is the artistic equivalent of a knighthood for a singer. The song cycle certainly became Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau's calling card, and it was probably this work that made the baritone internationally famous. His interpretation was heard again and again in concert halls, at festivals, on the radio, and on numerous recordings. In this recording made for Sender Freies Berlin in January 1979, we see two leading musicians of their time, at the peak of their careers and experience, performing Schubert's Winterreise together. Both an experienced Schubert lied singer and an Austrian pianist known worldwide for his authoritative interpretations of Schubert's piano music, they had performed Winterreise together several times between 1975 and 1989. Fischer-Dieskau's approach to Schubert's Winterreise has, in a sense, become the benchmark for today's singers. This recording of rehearsals and concerts offers a glimpse into the development of a masterful interpretation of a masterwork.