Schubert's most disturbing lied

Follow us for a weekly analysis of some of our favourite musical moments.

Today we share an analysis of Der Doppelgänger from Schubert's Schwanengesang. Composed in 1828, during the final year of Schubert's life, this lied sets Heinrich Heine's unsettling poem to music, exploring themes of alienation, despair, and the uncanny. The title refers to a "double" or ghostly counterpart, a figure that embodies existential torment. The sparse, foreboding piano accompaniment mirrors the protagonist’s emotional paralysis, with stark chords emphasizing the text’s eerie narrative of encountering one's spectral self in a desolate, moonlit setting.

   / @-momentsmusicaux-  

Franz Schubert (1797–1828)

Performance: Peter Schreier and András Schiff

Video made by MomentsMusicaux.