Schubert's most disturbing lied

[@dion1949]

Today, we throw the word "Doppelganger" around like it merely meant "twin." But, originally to see one's Doppelganger was a sign of impending death.

[@pugsnhogz]

Heavy, damn

[@lmf5299]

It's a terror lied. It's incredibly well written and very effective in its creepiness. A masterpiece!

[@Drakethatsme]

This is my favorite piece to teach in the classroom - there's so much to suggest the concept of duality, including that "shadow key" of E minor you mention at the end. I also love the fact that there's lots of *doublings* throughout the piano part, and the repetition of the conclusory motive (A - G- F#) in the first two stanzas by the piano also suggests the idea of something imitating your every move. I recommend any interested watchers also look at Richard Cohn's analysis of the piece in his book Audacious Euphony. If you don't have the book, the companion website (you can find it pretty easily on Google!) has an annotated score and animation outlining some of his analytical observations, under the chapter 6 resources.

[@-MomentsMusicaux-]

That's a nice poetic interpretation on the piano echo! Thank you also for providing some bibliography. MM

[@Marunius]

So grateful to get these deep insights, big thanks to you and uploader :)

[@jtbasener1810]

Absolutely haunting! Thank you for helping bring this work to life!

[@-MomentsMusicaux-]

Our pleasure!

[@lucpraslan]

Gorgeous. And a great voice in Peter Schreier 👍🏻👍🏻

[@jaypeej7830]

One of the most forward looking and innovative songs written

[@artdanks4846]

I've sung this piece, years ago when i was studying. Never had a chance to perform it though. Too bad! It is such an ominous, and foreboding piece of music!

[@pauloteixeira9136]

that's so pretty, it actually reminded me of Radiohead's Exit Music for a Film

[@SuperKripke]

@@pauloteixeira9136 I heard that was based on Chopin's prelude in E minor. Wonder if this inspired Chopin.

[@skylarlimex]

Terribly evocative! Thanks for sharing.

[@aimilios439]

Pianist making some great pedal decrescendi. Nerve racking.

[@danieldonovan4063]

one of my all time favorite lieders ... i sang this for my recital years back. haunting but powerful ... loved the dark stuff lol

[@georgie5700]

Excellent analysis and presentation, as usual. This lied is more disturbing than any Klaus Kinski movie

[@maksimivanov5417]

This piece is tearing my soul apart and simultaneously attracting in a maniacal way... Thanks for the analysis!

[@-MomentsMusicaux-]

Oh the duality! Thanks for the feedback!

[@Bravilor]

Love listening to this with the immense Hans Hotter.

[@samaritan29]

Doppelganger (also more horrifyingly called a "fetch"). While the term has come to mean other things, the original idea of the doppelganger is exemplified in Schubert;s lieder in that it was an apparition that looks exactly like you, but in death. Once you see your doppelganger, you don't have much longer to live, the prospect of coming face to face with your future dead corpse to me is a most unnerving one, irregardless this is undeniably a beautiful masterpiece.

[@erwinwoodedge4885]

Like in Poe's story William Wilson

[@potatohunter3763]

i love this piece so much,so nice to get it recommended now,brings back memories subbed

[@RiccardoFaggi]

A wonderful piece, very interesting both from a musical and esoteric point of view!

[@JeremyJeffes]

My favourite Schubert lied by far - Fischer-Dieskau’s recording always succeeds in reducing me to tears

[@samr9696]

wow, what an ending! great analysis too, thank you

[@-MomentsMusicaux-]

Thank you too!

[@Nooticus]

Really impressive editing and analysis here. Never heard this before and its indeed disturbing!

[@-MomentsMusicaux-]

Thank you! :)

[@loganjpo]

Opening melody is the same melody as the BWV849 fugue (with the same ominous mood)

[@oscarbeso2916]

Lovely video, as always ❤

[@-MomentsMusicaux-]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@Quotenwagnerianer]

I knew that it would be the Doppelgänger before clicking.

[@fulgenjbatista4640]

❤ So beautiful Thanks ❤

[@jaypeej7830]

Great analysis

[@jojaspismusic8531]

The pianoparts of the last songs of Schwanengesang (also die Stadt, am Meer etc...) are really unbelievable

[@fabriciovalvasori1121]

Wow! Bellísimo. Desde el comienzo flashé con que terminaría con las notas B-A#-C#-B# (las notas de BACh, pero subidas un semitono).

[@agustinroca5410]

Creepy schubertiade be like

[@thenoobsays]

I think I hear the ending more as an extended cadence to B than a modulation to E. The bII isn't inverted, but it functionally feels more like a Neapolitan chord > V7 > V/IV > IV64 > I to me. Those last chords over a tonic pedal are the ending to a lot of Bach pieces, and I wouldn't hear those as modulations either. Also, with all the incomplete chords in the accompaniment, the minor/major ambiguity seems to be an intentional part of this piece.

[@-MomentsMusicaux-]

It is definitely one of two possible interpretations with respect to the tonal centre, but we believe that while it is true that there are several incomplete chords in the piano this is more a product of the oblique two-voice texture than of holistic harmonic thinking and the B minor triad is completed in several instances, with and without the melody. The mode change in Bach endings does not usually occur exactly this way, while a half cadence V7 - v64 - V over a dominant pedal is very common throughout the repertoire, moreover the key of E minor was twice suggested by means of the also dual augmented sixth chord, it's not just any modulation. Anyway, beyond these two possible interpretations we like the idea that the ending hides a duality which many authors discussed, almost proving the point of the lied. If you are interested in further reading about this discussion, here is a paragraph mentioning said authors in Richard Cohn's book Audacious euphony - chromaticism and the consonant triad's second nature: ‘Thus, for example, we need not submit to arbitration the question of whether the final harmonies of ‘Der Doppelganger’ move from minor subdominant to B major tonic (L. Kramer 1986; Kurth 1997) or to major dominant from e minor tonic (R. Kramer 1994; Code 1995; Schwarz 1997) or form some liminal blend of the two (Saslaw and Walsh 1996).’ Thanks for your feedback!. MM

[@MaggaraMarine]

Yeah, definitely. There isn't enough going on in the melody to hear this as a modulation to Em. This is a picardy third ending. The B7 simply extends the ending a bit, so that it doesn't reach the end too soon. This piece also uses the b2 degree to approach the tonic many times, so the final resolution to the tonic being a b2-1 also makes sense. I also don't hear the earlier uses of the b2 as augmented 6ths in Em. I hear them as augmented 6ths built on the b2, which is also possible, even if it's rarer than building it on the 6th degree of the minor key. I don't think a single chord is enough to change the key, especially when both the top note and the bass land strongly on the B octave, and stay there until the end. Also, the couple of last bars function as a double chromatic neighbor to B: B A# (D) C B. There's also a strong cadence in Bm just before that happens.

[@tuuutut]

To me the false relation between A# and A natural you mention could be explained by saying The A natural is an appogiatura of the 9th degree (the G) of the V chord (F# A# C# E G) Thank you for the analysis ! Nice piece indeed !

[@SuperKripke]

Awesome!

[@CryptoEMreal]

Exelent work

[@tchaivorakfauresohnsieg9532]

Hope you provide English translation of this lied

[@Ivan_1791]

Schubert's darkest lied for sure. It's crazy how he came up with such a piece.

[@SuperKripke]

I heard that was based on Chopin's prelude in E minor. Wonder if this inspired Chopin.

[@Ivan_1791]

@SuperKripke No idea, I don't feel like they are very similar. But who knows.

[@SuperKripke]

@@Ivan_1791 Sorry, replied to the wrong message. My comment was on a person commenting on the similarities with Radiohead Exit music for a Film.

[@Ivan_1791]

@SuperKripke Oh I see

[@HarDiMonPetit]

Poignant!

[@Dhha]

Wow...

[@giannottister]

The motif of the first four bars is practically identical to the subject of the fugue in C# minor from the first book of Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier.

[@BearDimka]

Thank you! Thought that it is similar to something

[@galvinn]

Yes! It's the BACH motif in a different key iirc

[@PollyMatthew]

It doesn’t modulate to E minor at the end. It’s a plagal cadence, with a Picardy 3rd ending.

[@aahz42]

sounds about right

[@ignaciohillcoat]

‘Thus, for example, we need not submit to arbitration the question of whether the final harmonies of ‘Der Doppelganger’ move from minor subdominant to B major tonic (L. Kramer 1986; Kurth 1997) or to major dominant from e minor tonic (R. Kramer 1994; Code 1995; Schwarz 1997) or form some liminal blend of the two (Saslaw and Walsh 1996).’ Cohn, Richard Lawrence - Audacious euphony : chromaticism and the consonant triad's second nature, page 116.

[@michaeltilley8708]

@@ignaciohillcoatso? Who the f is he? There is no way you hear that final chord as a V?! First of all, the supposed V7 resolves (to a 6/4 btw) anyway, so what, is Schubert just tacking on an extra V after the final i (which, again, is no i, just a suspension which reiterates the melodic descent of the first few cadences in the second soprano. Seriously, we are in a woeful state of affairs if people have to equivocate about this PAC.

[@zero-ru4gi]

very interesting, nice work!

[@moisesserranomerlin]

Awesome video, just correct that Schubert was born in the 1700's in the description. I really like your work and your insights! Very nice work

[@-MomentsMusicaux-]

Always making silly mistakes. Thank you!! MM

[@rzLl_pz5]

Innocent Sin...

[@necrosismusik7109]

nicht schlecht

[@effigas]

I've sung this piece with great success

[@LucasFigueiredoBR]

Don't you mean _with great efficacy_ ?

[@massivegman9249]

@@LucasFigueiredoBRperhaps great accuracy?

[@kpunkt.klaviermusik]

Heinrich Heine's chilling poem? Chilling??? Schubert understood the underlying meaning perfectly well. It's very much the same as in "Ich grolle nicht" to which Robert Schumann composed the music. Neither the poets nor the composers were naive.

[@johnnyfog8134]

Rammstein vibes

[@luisfncosta]

There is a significant amount of tonal ambiguity in certain moments. However, I do not agree that there is a modulation to E minor at the end. The B7 chord clearly functions as V7 of V because B is well established. The ending is clearly a I (with a Picardy third) in conjunction with a plagal cadence (IV - I). The final chord feels conclusive.

[@elyprieto7440]

Agreed. 3:28

[@allenptc]

The choice of B miinor key is itself ominous, booahahaaa!!!

[@StevenCovacci]

compare with the Agnus Dei -- Mass 6

[@kyleethekelt]

I had to look at the description to know what song it was because I got completely disoriented by hearing it in that key, 🤭 as I have two versions in my own collections, both by baritones. Nice performandce, but where was the analysis? I only heard the performance. If it was words on the screen, I missed them as I'm blind. Guess I'll have to bo looking elsewhere for the analyses.

[@PaoloFioreRules]

Schubert's most disturbing lied is 'Der Leiermann', IMO.

[@9827george]

Das ist keine Harmonik-Analyse. Es müssen die Funktionen bezeichnet werde, etwa Dominante, Doppeldominante, Subdominante usw.