Page 116 - Winterreise Coverage Book, 2021 - 22

22 February 2022
‘Winterreise always gives just tiny hints and it opens your

imagination’ | Benjamin Appl and James Baillieu interview

James Jolly
Benjamin Appl has recorded Winterreise twice – once for BBC TV

and once for Alpha Classics. James Jolly speaks to him and his

pianist James Baillieu about Schubert’s great song-cycle

Benjamin Appl (photo: Justin Hession)

Five years ago, a striking red tower appeared high up on the Julier Pass in the Swiss
Alps. The brainchild and creation of Giovanni Netzer, the 30m-high Julier Tower

theatre stands 2300m above sea level and is the venue for Netzer’s Origen Cultural
Festival. Made of laminated wood, the tower has a star-shaped footprint with seating
for up to 270 people arranged over five floors, each storey punctuated by arched