Young German-English baritone Benjamin Appl and pianist James Baillieu were a sensation of San Francisco Performances’ 2022–23 season. “Dynamic contrasts, from stormy fortissimos to whispery pianissimos, etched one dramatic moment after another,” reported San Francisco Classical Voice. Appl carries on a legacy of deeply emotional musically satisfying artistry he owes, in part, to his mentor, the great baritone and conductor Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, whom this season’s program honors.