The songs in Schwanengesang, Schubert’s last song-cycle, were described by his Viennese publisher Haslinger as “the final blooms of Schubert’s creative muse”. Schwanengesang contains some of Schubert’s greatest works. It tells no particular story, but the two sets of songs are linked by their poetic themes: nature, love and separation in the case of the settings of Ludwig Rellstab, bitterness, loss and despair in the case of Heinrich Heine.

Dominik Wörner, bass-baritone, won first prize in the singing category at the XIII. International Bach Competition 2002 and a special award from the Leipzig Baroque Orchestra. His training concluded with in-depth studies in Irwin Gage’s master class for song interpretation, which he completed with honours, in Zurich. He has made guest appearances in nearly every European country, the USA, Asia and Australia under the baton of Thomas Hengelbrock, Philippe Herreweghe, Manfred Honeck, Sigiswald Kuijken or Masaaki Suzuki.

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original fortepiano by Conrad Graf, Vienna 1827-28