mercy seat – winterreise

Franz Schubert's "Die Winterreise" is considered the pinnacle of Western song art. The existential questions and emotional depths of this song cycle are of unparalleled intensity and timeless relevance. How strikingly this subtle chamber music of the Romantic period harmonises with Nick Cave's melancholic punk attitude is demonstrated by exceptional actor Charly Hübner and the fabulous Hamburg Ensemble Resonanz at the end of the festival. Tobias Schwencke's arrangements congenially bring the avant-garde ensemble together with a jazz trio. The starting point of this "séance between Nick Cave and Franz Schubert" is Cave's song "Mercy Seat", which traces the thoughts of a man shortly before his execution in the electric chair.