Composer

:

Franz Liszt

Genre

:

Keyboard

Style

:

Keyboard

Compose Date

:

1838 - 1839

Publication Date

:

1840

Average_duration

:

4:20

Franz Liszt's "Der Doppelgänger (after Schubert, D. 957/13), S. 560/12" is a piano transcription of Franz Schubert's song of the same name. Liszt composed the transcription in 1848, and it was premiered in the same year in Weimar, Germany. The piece is part of Liszt's "Schubert Song Transcriptions," a collection of piano transcriptions of Schubert's lieder. Liszt's transcriptions were intended to bring Schubert's music to a wider audience and to showcase the expressive possibilities of the piano. "Der Doppelgänger" is the twelfth and final piece in the collection, and it is one of the most haunting and dramatic. The song tells the story of a man who sees his own double in the street at night, and it is filled with a sense of foreboding and unease. Liszt's transcription captures the mood of the song perfectly, with its dark and brooding harmonies and its eerie, repetitive motifs. The piece is in the key of A-flat major and is marked "Andante sostenuto," indicating a slow and sustained tempo. The transcription is divided into three sections, each of which corresponds to a different section of the song. The first section is marked "Lento placido," and it features a simple, mournful melody that is repeated throughout the section. The second section is marked "Poco più mosso," and it is more agitated and intense, with rapid arpeggios and a sense of mounting tension. The final section is marked "Lento," and it returns to the mournful melody of the first section, but with added embellishments and variations. Overall, "Der Doppelgänger" is a masterful transcription that captures the essence of Schubert's song while also showcasing Liszt's virtuosic piano writing. It is a haunting and powerful piece that is sure to leave a lasting impression on anyone who hears it.

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