The foyer bells are ringing and you’re set to see a living legend perform an undisputed masterpiece. You know it well, and you settle back in your seat, feeling quite sure you know what to expect of this old musical friend.

But the vision on stage shatters your preconceptions and you come to realise that this wonderful work has yet another layer of meaning you had never noticed.

That’s exactly how it felt when acclaimed tenor Allan Clayton and pianist Kate Golla – directed by Lindy Hume – presented Schubert’s final song-cycle, A Winter’s Journey (Die Winterreise) immersed in Fred Williams’ landscapes.

Kate Golla and Allan Clayton perform A Winter’s Journey. Photo © David Cox

Die Winterreise depicts  a nameless man who, spurned in love and consumed by his sense of loss, embarks on a solitary journey across a bleak wintry landscape. Lonely and melancholic, he rejects paths that would take him back to normal life but finds he is not ready for the graveyard. Quite bereft, he is left contemplating a solitary organ-grinder staggering barefoot on the ice.

In the static format of a lieder recital, the wanderer’s journey is an introspective experience, with attention focused on the nuances in Schubert’s skeletal score.

This production is theatrical. An installation featuring videography by David Bergman creates a defined space and a sense of location. Images from Williams’ paintings are illuminated, magnified and deconstructed in harmony with the scenes the wanderer is describing in his songs.

Kate Golla and Allan Clayton perform A Winter’s Journey. Photo © David Cox

It is visually exciting to see Williams’ pointillist landscapes transposed to suggest frozen tears, or loneliness, or frost settling on the wanderer’s head. And as the audience witnesses Clayton’s wanderer engaging with his environment, his experience is no longer purely introspective. Drawing out the dynamic relationship between the wanderer and his environment provides a fresh and deeper understanding of the wanderer’s journey.

Musically, the performance is impeccable, showcasing Clayton’s huge vocal and theatrical finesse and Golla’s nuanced pianism.

This production is a wonderful way to experience A Winters’ Journey.

Musica Viva Australia presents Kate Golla and Allan Clayton in A Winter’s Journey in the Concert Hall, QPAC, Brisbane on 19 February, at City Recital Hall, Sydney (22,23 February); Lleweylln Hall, Canberra (27 February) and Adelaide Town Hall on 3 March. Details and bookings here.