This album brings together two of Schumann’s most profound song cycles – ‘Dichterliebe’ and ‘Kerner-Lieder’ – performed with exceptional sensitivity and vocal finesse. Accompanied by pianist and long-term collaborator Helmut Deutsch, Kaufmann explores the emotional and poetic nuances of these Romantic masterpieces. These works are complemented by ‘Doppelgänger’, a strikingly original stage adaptation of Schubert’s ‘Schwanengesang’ (‘Swan Songs’), directed by Claus Guth. This production reimagines the cycle through a contemporary theatrical lens, adding a powerful visual and narrative dimension to Schubert’s final songs. As a special bonus, the release includes six previously unreleased recordings from Kaufmann’s private archive: selections from ‘Dichterliebe’ recorded in 1994 during his student years. While ‘Dichterliebe’ is one of the most beloved song cycles of the Romantic era – capturing the full spectrum of love, from rapture to heartbreak, with exquisite sensitivity and poetic depth – the ‘Kerner-Lieder’ reveal a more introspective and dramatic side of Schumann. These songs explore themes of solitude, nature, and spiritual yearning. The DVD features the acclaimed theatrical production of ‘Doppelgänger’, directed by Claus Guth and staged at the Park Avenue Armory in New York. Taking its name from the final song, ‘Der Doppelgänger’ – in which a soldier confronts the haunting realization that he did not survive the war – this Armory commission poignantly explores the longing for life’s beauty and the idea that death is not an abrupt end, but a final, reflective journey.
