World Premiere – A Park Avenue Armory Commission

Doppelganger

Schubert's Schwanensegang (Swan Song)

Claus Guth
Jonas Kaufmann

World Premiere – A Park Avenue Armory Commission

Doppelganger

Schubert's Schwanensegang (Swan Song)

Claus Guth
Jonas Kaufmann

September 22, 2023 - September 28, 2023

Wade Thompson Drill Hall

Composed in 1828 in Franz Schubert‘s final days, Schwanengesang (Swan Song) traverses a myriad of emotions, from despair and delusion to ecstasy and love, to form a series of masterful snapshots of all that life can offer. Sitting at the pinnacle of a vocalist’s repertory, these emotive works are given a thrilling new life in the world premiere of a theatrical staging by one of opera’s most adventurous directors, Claus Guth.

Performed by world-renowned tenor Jonas Kaufmann with his long-time collaborator pianist Helmut Deutsch, the heart-melting collection of songs is amplified by additional Schubert repertory, an evocative soundscape, and transformative light and video projections to create a production that is part performance and part installation art. Named for the last song “Der Doppelgänger,” in which a soldier sees themselves and comes to terms with the reality that they did not return from war, this Armory commission beautifully explores the hunger for life and its beauty and the idea that death is not a sudden moment but a last journey.

Performances

Tuesday–Thursday at 7:30pm
Friday at 8:00pm
Saturday at 7:00pm

Run Time

This performance is approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes with no intermission and is sung in German with English supertitles.

“an imaginative and viscerally shocking staging of Schubert songs … the theatrical ingenuity and visceral force was so strong that the audience let out an audible gasp of shock.”

The New York Times

“a remarkable theatrical coup … [Kaufmann’s] burnished tenor remains potent, unleashing powerful torrents of sound.”

The Financial Times

Gallery

  • Doppelganger, a theatrical staging of Schubert's Schwanengesang by Claus Guth and starring Jonas Kaufmann at Park Avenue Armory.
    Photo: Monika Rittershaus

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  • Jonas Kaufmann in Doppelganger, a theatrical staging of Schubert's Schwanengesang by Claus Guth at Park Avenue Armory.
    Photo: Monika Rittershaus

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  • Doppelganger, a theatrical staging of Schubert's Schwanengesang by Claus Guth and starring Jonas Kaufmann at Park Avenue Armory.
    Photo: Monika Rittershaus

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  • Helmut Deustch (piano) in Doppelganger, a theatrical staging of Schubert's Schwanengesang by Claus Guth and starring Jonas Kaufmann at Park Avenue Armory.
    Photo: Monika Rittershaus

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  • Jonas Kaufmann in Doppelganger, a theatrical staging of Schubert's Schwanengesang by Claus Guth at Park Avenue Armory.
    Photo: Monika Rittershaus

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  • Doppelganger, a theatrical staging of Schubert's Schwanengesang by Claus Guth and starring Jonas Kaufmann at Park Avenue Armory.
    Photo: Monika Rittershaus

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  • Jonas Kaufmann in Doppelganger, a theatrical staging of Schubert's Schwanengesang by Claus Guth at Park Avenue Armory.
    Photo: Monika Rittershaus

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  • Jonas Kaufmann in Doppelganger, a theatrical staging of Schubert's Schwanengesang by Claus Guth at Park Avenue Armory.
    Photo: Monika Rittershaus

    8/10

  • Doppelganger, a theatrical staging of Schubert's Schwanengesang by Claus Guth and starring Jonas Kaufmann at Park Avenue Armory.
    Photo: Monika Rittershaus

    9/10

  • Doppelganger, a theatrical staging of Schubert's Schwanengesang by Claus Guth and starring Jonas Kaufmann at Park Avenue Armory.
    Photo: Monika Rittershaus

    10/10

Related Videos

  • Decoding Schubert's "Schwanengesang (Swan Song)" 

    1/3

  • Designing Doppelganger with Michael Levine

    2/3

  • Artist Talk: Doppelganger

    3/3

In the News

    • Review: A Soldier Confronts His Mortality

      The New York Times

      Read Now

    • ‘10 Days in a Madhouse,’ ‘Simon Boccanegra’ and ‘Doppelgänger’ Reviews: Insanity and Humanity

      The Wall Street Journal

      Read Now

    • Review: Park Avenue Armory Welcomes Jonas Kaufmann Back to New York City

      Observer

      Read Now

    • Schubert at the Vast Park Avenue Armory: Intimate, Lonely, Exposed

      The New York Times

      Read Now

    Artists & Creatives

    • Tenor

      Jonas Kaufmann

    • Pianist

      Helmut Deutsch

    • Direction

      Claus Guth

    • Original Music and Sound Composition

      Mathis Nitschke

    • Set Design

      Michael Levine

    • Costume Design

      Constance Hoffman

    • Lighting Design

      Urs Schöenebaum

    • Sound Design

      Mark Grey

    • Video Design

      rocafilm

    • Movement Direction

      Sommer Ulrickson

    Related Events

    Tuesday, September 26, 2023 at 6:00 pm

    Artist Talk: Doppelganger

    Director Claus Guth is joined by pianist Helmut Deutsch to discuss the creation of this new production and incorporating new sonic compositions with Schubert’s enduring scores to form a new musical tapestry, moderated by author and opera director Ian Strasfogel.

    Watch Now

    Support

    Production support for Doppelganger is provided by the Arthur F. & Alice E. Adams Charitable Foundation and The Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis Foundation. Additional support is provided by the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany New York.

    Public support is provided by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature as well as the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

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