The renowned tenor Jonas Kaufmann brings Schumann’s two major song cycles, Dichterliebe and Kerner-Lieder, true masterpieces of German Romanticism, back to life, accompanied by pianist Helmut Deutsch. In addition to the CD, Jonas Kaufmann presents the spectacular DVD recording of Schubert’s Schwanengesang D.957 in an audacious staging by Claus Guth, created at the Park Avenue Armory in New York. Dichterliebe is among the most beloved song cycles of Romanticism, capturing every nuance of love, from ecstasy to disillusionment, with finesse and poetry. Kerner-Lieder reveals a more introspective and dramatic side of Schumann, exploring themes of solitude, nature, and spiritual quest. An exclusive bonus accompanies this release: six previously unreleased recordings from Jonas Kaufmann’s personal archives, including a version of Dichterliebe recorded during his student years in 1994. A stage adaptation of Schubert’s Schwanengesang D.957, directed by Claus Guth and titled Doppelgänger in DVD format, accompanies the CD album. Financial Times describes it as: “a remarkable coup de théâtre... the tenor’s burnished timbre remains powerful, unleashing impressive torrents of sound.” Composed in 1828 shortly before his death, Schubert’s Schwanengesang D.957 spans an intense emotional palette, from despair to ecstasy, and remains a pinnacle of the vocal repertoire, here reinvented in a staging as moving as it is innovative. This immersive performance blends Schubert Lieder, luminous scenography, and video projections for an experience on the border between vocal performance and artistic installation. The title refers to the cycle’s final Lied, Der Doppelgänger, in which a soldier confronted with his own double realizes that he will not return from war. The poignant work questions the beauty of life and the slowness of the final journey that is death.