For
Fischer-Dieskau completists, this 2008 collection of his 1952 recordings of Beethoven's folk song arrangements will be mandatory listening. Because while the great German baritone recorded Beethoven's art songs many times, this disc has his only recorded performances of these slivers from the master's workshop. Performed with acclaimed pianist
Michael Raucheisen plus violinist Grete Eweler-Froboese, cellist Irmgard Poppen, and the RIAS-Kammerchor,
Fischer-Dieskau's' performances are full of energy and enthusiasm. The songs themselves are hardly at the same level as the composer's greatest songs -- there is nothing here comparable to An die ferne Geliebte -- but the humor and affection of Beethoven's settings and the wit and pleasure of
Fischer-Dieskau's performances encourage the listener to enjoy works in their own right. Given its age and origins, the sound here is understandably gray and boxy: the performers seem to be trapped in a small room with the singer right next to the microphone and the instrumentalists far behind him. But for dedicated fans of the singer or the composer, this will hardly matter in comparison to the aesthetic value of the performances and repertoire.