The Fischer-Dieskau Book of Lieder (Limelight) Review

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(More customer reviews)I recently purchased a six-CD set on EMI of Fischer-Dieskau singing Brahms lieder.My collection includes the song texts in German, but, alas, does not have English translations.I needed to know something of the texts and thus turned to "The Fischer-Dieskau Book of Lieder", first published in 1976 and recently reissued.This book includes the original texts and English translations of 750 songs, including, of course, many texts set by Brahms.The book does not include all the songs in my compiliation, but it gave me much more than I had without it.It includes, among much else, the complete text and translation of Brahms's song-cycle, "Die Schone Magelone" Op. 33, which set 15 poems of Ludwig Tieck.In this day of cost-cutting, where both texts and translations are frequently not included in CDs, Fischer-Dieskau's book is an excellent resource.

The song texts are easy to use as they are accompanied by a three-fold index that lists the contents by composer, poets, and titles and first lines. The songs in the book are arranged alphabetically. The book also includes an excellent introduction by Fischer-Dieskau which manages to be both an overview and highly personal at the same time.

In addition to helping to find texts and translations of songs on recordings, this book has many other uses.It can be used simply to read the poetry that was set by the great composers of song and to follow-up by listening to settings of poems that the reader finds appealing.The book can be used as a guide to songs that were set by more than one composer or to explore songs. The book includes many texts that were set by the great masters of song, including Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Wolf, and others. There are many other texts set by composers who are obscure.For those with a desire to do so, this book can be used as a means of finding and exploring songs by composers who lie somewhat outside the most familiar track.And, of course, this is a wonderful book simply for browsing.

This book will delight any lover of art song and would make a treasured and unique gift to any lover of song.

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Product Description:
This new translation of the original texts of over 750 songs allows the reader to follow, line by line, the English directly opposite the German. "Will no doubt become the standard lieder-resource for the English-speaking world..." - Choice

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