cybilsharp (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Rather sad to see all this stuff about people living now being somehow guilty for what their grandparents did... The great thing about Mahler - and DFD - is that their emotions are universal and the music shows how limiting any sense of racist superiority is. Let us just enjoy hearing a great German (DFD) singing the music of an even greater German (Gustav)....

pasfresh123 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

why is there so much distortion, so much screeching, like a radio that isn't quite on the channel.

eimstudent (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

I don't know why such beautiful music makes people think so much about politics... Thanks for posting this, I suddenly really wanted to hear it and here it was, so sad and sublime. Ah, the wonders of Youtube (and Mahler, and Fischer-Dieskau)!

zamolxis7 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Those beautiful eyes!

wartburg88 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

For me, there is simply no better Lieder interpreter than DFG. He is one of my top vocal heroes. The stoic passion that flows through his voice richly conveys the pathos of these Mahler pieces.

sanjosemike (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Heshvan5699: Thank you for your heartfelt posts. Without question, Hitler was a DISASTER for all Germans. It is a pity that he was voted into power by (at the time) legitimate means. I don't know if your father or Grandfather's family voted to help put him into office or not...at the time, most Germans also felt that Hitler was the "savior" of "Greater" Germany. Hitler also ordered the euthanasia of injured GERMAN soldiers. His evil was all-encompassing. sanjosemike

Heshvan5699 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

I can understand your grief! I have lost my Father in the Nazi War when I was 11 years old. Sometimes I'm afraid to get crazy when I read the comments of young pro-Nazis of different nations. But it's the music of Mahler that gives me consolation. I could advice you to read the book "Mahler" by the Jewish philosopher Adorno. The British composer Deryck Cooke has written a book about Mahler with all the texts of Mahler's songs in English. I'll bring the text of the first Kindertotenlied in E.

Heshvan5699 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Now will the sun as brightly rise As though no evil befell last night! The evil befell just me alone; The sun, it shines for all alike! You must not enfold the night within you, Must in the eternal light immerse it! A lamp has gone out in my abode! Hail to the whole world's gladdening light!

Heshvan5699 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

When I wrote that the Nazi General Göring ordered the bombing of the German city of Freiburg on May 10, 1940, to have a pretence for bombing Rotterdam and Coventry, posters from Holland, France, Britain and USA called me e Communist lier. My Grandfather lost his brother in this "friendly fire". Of course, saying these facts under Hitler regime would have meant Death! My Grandfathers often feared that Hitler would launch a similar attack with gas bombs. They didn't know that I was listening!

Heshvan5699 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

If you look at the comments to certain videos (war, especially air war, holocaust, Hitler Youth etc.) one can say that the majority of all these holocaust deniers and Hitler fans are NOT Germans. It is so frustrating to read postings from young Dutch, American, English, Canadian and even Polish and Russian boys who write: Hitler is our savior! I had to change my nick name several times because they threatened me on my channel. I know what Nazism was. I was a child under Hitler, I am a German.