My name is Zoë Colvin & I am increasingly baffled about everything.
Sunday, 20 May 2012
Mein Vater, Mein Vater
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau has died. He was wonderful. The story of his early life is a reminder that Germans, as well as other nationalities, suffered under the Nazis;
The agony of all parents when they lose their children, or of children for their parents; husbands and wives; there's no ending to the misery when men lose their reason – or never had it in the first place – and yet control the fate of millions.
A great performance – how wonderful the world had him for so long.
"Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage And then is heard no more: it is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing." Yes, I've just been to see Macbeth - not a very good production, sadly, but ever since that soliloquy has seemed appropriate to everything, including requests for a cooked breakfast.
He was superlative, wasn't he. I especially like his recordings with Sviatoslav Richter. In fact, I dare to say that I cut my little choral teeth on listening to his lieder interpretations as a youunster, so much so that my first singing teacher once told to me to "stop trying to sing like Fischer-Dieskau". I can't see what her problem was.
Did he personally suffer under the Nazi regime? The only - heck, 'only' - thing I can see is that his infirm brother was starved to death by them under their euthanasia programme.
That was the thing I was thinking of - I heard a programme about him on the radio years and years ago which suggested that he loved that brother - disabled in some way - hugely and never got over his death. Possibly, if children can feel guilty about their parents divorcing then the big strong successful brother can carry a burden of guilt and sadness about not managing to save a younger brother from such a fate, do you think?
This is beautiful. Thanks, Zoe.
ReplyDeleteVerity x
No worries
DeleteThe agony of all parents when they lose their children, or of children for their parents; husbands and wives; there's no ending to the misery when men lose their reason – or never had it in the first place – and yet control the fate of millions.
ReplyDeleteA great performance – how wonderful the world had him for so long.
"Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player
DeleteThat struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing."
Yes, I've just been to see Macbeth - not a very good production, sadly, but ever since that soliloquy has seemed appropriate to everything, including requests for a cooked breakfast.
He was superlative, wasn't he. I especially like his recordings with Sviatoslav Richter. In fact, I dare to say that I cut my little choral teeth on listening to his lieder interpretations as a youunster, so much so that my first singing teacher once told to me to "stop trying to sing like Fischer-Dieskau". I can't see what her problem was.
ReplyDeleteDid he personally suffer under the Nazi regime? The only - heck, 'only' - thing I can see is that his infirm brother was starved to death by them under their euthanasia programme.
That was the thing I was thinking of - I heard a programme about him on the radio years and years ago which suggested that he loved that brother - disabled in some way - hugely and never got over his death. Possibly, if children can feel guilty about their parents divorcing then the big strong successful brother can carry a burden of guilt and sadness about not managing to save a younger brother from such a fate, do you think?
Delete