Schubert's Winterreise - 24. Der Leiermann (The Organ-Grinder)

Sung by Peter Anders, accompanied by Gunther Weissenborn.

ClassicsForTheAges brings you another lost performance! German operatic tenor Peter Anders began his career singing lyric roles in the 1930s, a time when the global financial crisis was hardly conductive to professional advancement amidst a plethora of gifted peers. His characteristic timbre and clear enunciation were admired by a young Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau.

The horrors Anders experienced in Berlin at the end of World War II caused him to suffer a vocal crisis which culminated in his switching to spinto tenor. In the last five years of his life, he was recorded copiously and began to achieve international acclaim. His performing schedule was busy and his possibilities seemed limitless -- until he was killed in a 1954 car accident in Hamburg at age 46, speeding on his way to a performance. His death was regarded as a great loss to the world of opera.

Anders' reputation is sometimes called into question because of his association with Nazi Germany. As one of Adolf Hitler's favorite performers, he was exempted from military service in exchange for entertaining German troops and participating in war-time propaganda events. Be that as it may, talent such as his deserves to be evaluated on its own merits. Herbert von Karajan was a member of the Nazi party, yet his talents as a conductor are recognized; the least we can do is give Anders similar consideration.

Peter Anders recorded Schubert's Winterreise twice. The first recording, with Michael Raucheisen, was made in 1945 during the last months of the war for the Reichsrundfunk Gesellschaft Berlin. This one was made on October 24, 1948 for Cologne Radio. Both versions are milestones in the history of recorded Schubert cycles insofar as they are the oldest extant recordings of a tenor singing the Winterreise cycle.

This recording was last released on CD in 2000 on the Gebhardt Records label. It's no longer listed on their web site and and I have no information as to when it went out of circulation.

24. The Organ-Grinder (Der Leiermann)

Up behind the village
The organ grinder has his pitch
He stands barefoot or shuffles
On the frozen ground

With stiff fingers
He coaxes out the sound
His saucer is empty
Gifts for him are rare

No one listens to him
Or looks at him, or cares
Dogs snarl at him
Dogs chase him

But he wears a smile
He shows no fear or disappointment
But turns the handle round and round

Shall I join you on your journey?
Will you play the music to my songs?

Category:

Music

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• schubert
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• peter
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[roshmp]

awesome