The concert at Aula der Alten Universität Heidelberg at 19:30 was the 100th anniversary commemoration of the singer Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. A significant figure who contributed greatly to the cultural landscape after the war, especially in the German cultural heritage of Kunstlied (Art Song). His last pupil, Benjamin Appl, curated the programme using Fischer-Dieskau’s biography as a red thread, accompanied by music and text. It was beautiful, sincere, personal, and overflowing with gratitude, yet without idolizing his mentor. A very moving presentation, filled with personal experiences he shared with Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau.
The pianist Sholto Kynoch heroically saved the concert, as the original pianist, James Baillieu, could not come due to an emergency and was admitted to hospital. I hope James Baillieu gets well soon. Sholto Kynoch’s brilliant and calm performance made one almost doubt that he had only one day, or even less, to learn all the music.
The recitation of text by Marco Albrecht vividly brought the life of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau alive.
I could talk forever about this concert, but for now, I will share the two things that left a significant mark on me. First, fame. Second, life purpose.
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau was considered a very famous figure. From the letters I heard, it seemed he tied his whole identity to his singing career. At the end of his life, he was depressed, afraid of being forgotten, felt guilty, and often cried.
Just like everyone, aging and death are inevitable. As I age, there will be more and more limitations on what I can do. The problem with tying my whole identity to what I do is that it is insecure and can change overnight. The antidote to that is to tie my identity to something unchanging and everlasting, like God’s love.
When Jesus was baptized, God said: “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17) At that moment, Jesus had not done anything yet. He had not preached or died on the cross. This affirmation was not based on what Jesus did, but on God’s love.
If I can still do things with the talents given by God, I thank God. If I can no longer do them, I thank God because I am still His beloved daughter.
Those expectations that fame can solve many problems in life are simply false. Fame magnifies problems and should not be something I seek in life.
After World War II, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau immediately began designing programmes with reconciliation in mind. One important event was his performance at the premiere of Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem. He was open to new technology in his time, loved the microphone, and recorded a great number of works, bringing classical music, especially Kunstlied, to a wider audience. He contributed greatly to his generation.
After the concert, I asked myself: how can I serve God’s purpose in my generation? What is the unique assignment I need to carry out?
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