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66-401: "Erlkönig" has been called Goethe's "most famous ballad". The poem has been set to music by several composers, most notably by Franz Schubert . An anxious young boy is being carried at night by his father on horseback. To where is not spelled out; German Hof has a rather broad meaning of "yard", "courtyard", "farm", or "(royal) court". The opening line tells that the time is late and that it

132-404: A different tessitura , and each has his own rhythmic and harmonic nuances; in addition, most singers endeavor to use a different vocal coloration for each part. A fifth character, the horse on which the father and boy are riding, is implied in rapid triplet figures played by the pianist throughout the work, mimicking hoof beats. "Erlkönig" begins with the piano playing rapid triplets to create

198-478: A falling arpeggio , pointing to the background of the scene and suggesting the urgency of the father's mission. It also introduces a chromatic "passing note motif" consisting of C–C ♯ -D that represents a daemonic force, and used throughout the work. Wer reitet so spät durch Nacht und Wind? Es ist der Vater mit seinem Kind; Er hat den Knaben wohl in dem Arm, Er fasst ihn sicher, er hält ihn warm.   Who rides, so late, through night and wind? It

264-476: A golden robe." My father, my father, and do you not hear What the Erl-King quietly promises me? Be calm, stay calm, my child; Through dry leaves, the wind is sighing. "Do you, fine boy, want to go with me? My daughters shall wait on you finely; My daughters lead the nightly dance, And rock and dance and sing you to sleep." My father, my father, and don't you see there The Erl-King's daughters in

330-621: A hit that absolutely deserved to be." The piece is regarded as challenging to perform due to the multiple characters the vocalist is required to portray, as well as its difficult accompaniment, involving rapidly repeated chords and octaves. "Erlkönig" has been arranged for various settings: for solo piano by Franz Liszt (1838, revised 1876; S. 558/4), for solo violin by Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst (1854; Grand Caprice für Violine allein , Op. 26), and for solo voice and orchestra by Hector Berlioz (1860; H. 136, NBE 22b), Franz Liszt (1860; S. 375/4) and Max Reger (1914). Brian Newbould wrote on

396-706: A life of its own, inspiring the Romantic concept of the Erlking. Niels Gade 's cantata Elverskud , Op. 30 (1854, text by Chr. K. F. Molbech  [ da ] ) was published in translation as Erlkönigs Tochter . The Erlkönig's nature has been the subject of some debate. The name translates literally from the German as " Alder King" rather than its common English translation, " Elf King" (which would be rendered as Elfenkönig in German). It has often been suggested that Erlkönig

462-402: A poem of Ludwig Uhland . Inspired by a German translation of Scottish border ballads, Loewe set several poems with an elvish theme; but although all three of Op. 1 are concerned with untimely death, in this set only the "Erlkönig" has the supernatural element. Loewe's accompaniment is in semiquaver groups of six in 8 time and marked Geschwind (fast). The vocal line evokes

528-404: A sense of urgency and simulate the horse's galloping. The moto perpetuo triplets continue throughout the entire song except for the final three bars and mostly comprise the uninterrupted repeated chords or octaves in the right hand that were established at the opening. In the introduction, the left hand of the piano part introduces an ominous bass motif composed of rising scale in triplets and

594-441: A short piano interlude, the Erlking starts to address the boy in a charming, flattering melody in B ♭ major, placing emphasis on the words "liebes" (dear) and "geh" (go). The descending intervals of the melody seems to provide a soothing response to the boy's fear. Though the Erlking's seductive verses differ in their accompanying figurations (providing some relief for the pianist), they are still based on triplets, not letting

660-400: Is a romantic musical realization that represents the various rational and irrational elements of Goethe's ballad by contrasting yet unifying musical elements. Its form is the through-composed song; although the melodic motives recur, the harmonic structure is constantly changing and the piece modulates within the four characters. The four characters in the song – narrator, father, son, and

726-468: Is a father with his child. He has the boy well in his arm He holds him safely, he keeps him warm. After a long introduction of fifteen measures, the narrator raises the question "Wer reitet so spät durch Nacht und Wind?" and accentuates the key words "Vater" (father) and "seinem Kind" (his child) in the reply. A link between "Wind" and "Kind" is suggested in the placement in a major tonality. The verse ends where it started, in G minor, seemingly indicating

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792-729: Is a mistranslation from the original Danish elverkonge , which does mean "king of the elves". In the original Scandinavian version of the tale, the antagonist was the Erlkönig's daughter rather than the Erlkönig himself. The poem has often been set to music, with Franz Schubert's rendition, his Opus 1 (D. 328), being the best known. Probably the next-best known is that of Carl Loewe (1818). Other notable settings are by members of Goethe's circle, including actress Corona Schröter (1782), Andreas Romberg (1793), Johann Friedrich Reichardt (1794), and Carl Friedrich Zelter (1797). Ludwig van Beethoven attempted to set it to music, but abandoned

858-462: Is at first concealed from his bride, but eventually she finds out; in the Icelandic versions, the bride is not mentioned at all, and Olav's refusal to dance arises from his Christian faith. In one Faroese variant, Olav is implied to have been romantically involved with the elf-woman for some time; it also begins with his mother predicting his death. Vésteinn Ólason's summary of the Icelandic variants of

924-406: Is harmonically supported by a modulation from the tonic to the subdominant , also employing the "passing note motif" from the introduction. The son's distress is represented by the high pitch of this reply and the repetitive nature of the phrase. As the child mentions the Erlking, the harmony passes into F major, representing a gravitation from the father's tonality to the Erlking. The father calms

990-582: Is one of Schubert's most famous works, with enduring popularity and acclaim since its premiere in 1821. Carl Loewe 's setting was published as Op. 1, No. 3 and composed in 1817–18, in the lifetime of the poem's author and also of Schubert, whose version Loewe did not then know. Collected with it were Op. 1, No. 1, "Edward" (1818; a translation of the Scottish ballad ), and No. 2, " Der Wirthin Töchterlein " (1823; "The Innkeeper's Daughter"),

1056-575: Is the Danish, and most widely used, name for one of the most popular ballads in Scandinavia ( The Types of the Scandinavian Medieval Ballad A 63 'Elveskud — Elf maid causes man's sickness and death'; Danmarks gamle Folkeviser 47; Sveriges Medeltida Ballader 29; NMB 36; CCF 154; IFkv 1). The origins of the ballad are agreed to be considerably earlier than the earliest manuscripts, in

1122-406: Is the father with his child. He has the boy well in his arm, He holds him safely, he keeps him warm. My son, why do you hide your face in fear? Father, do you not see the Erl-King? The Erl-King with crown and cape? My son, it is a streak of fog. "You dear child, come, go with me! (Very) beautiful games, I play with you; Many colourful flowers are on the beach, My mother has many

1188-427: Is windy. As the poem unfolds, the son claims to see and hear the "Erlkönig" (Erl-King). His father claims to not see or hear the creature, and he attempts to comfort his son, asserting natural explanations for what the child sees – a wisp of fog, rustling leaves, shimmering willows. The Erl-King attempts to lure the child into joining him, promising amusement, rich clothes, and the attentions of his daughters. Finally,

1254-530: The Theater am Kärntnertor was a great success, and quickly propelled the young composer to fame in Vienna. "Erlkönig" exists in four versions by Schubert's hand, with the 3rd version featuring a simplified piano accompaniment without triplets in the right hand. The original (for medium voice) is in the key of G minor, though there are also transposed editions for high and low voice. Schubert's adaptation of "Erlkönig"

1320-527: The Vossische Zeitung : "To a quite different sphere, increasing the sensual excitement still further, belonged his playing of Schubert’s Erlkönig, a work widely known and heard, and yet now heard for the first time , truly electrifying the audience, which caused it to be encored more by their ever-renewed applause than by express demand." Elveskud " Elveskud " or " Elverskud " ( pronounced [ˈelvɐskuð] ; Danish for "Elf-shot")

1386-516: The "commanding compositions of the century". Among Schubert's most famous works, the piece has been arranged by various composers, such as Franz Liszt (solo piano) and Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst (solo violin); Hector Berlioz , Franz Liszt , and Max Reger have orchestrated the piece. Goethe's poem was set in music by at least a hundred composers, including Johann Friedrich Reichardt , Carl Friedrich Zelter and Carl Loewe , though no work would become as preeminent as Schubert's, which stands among

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1452-419: The "magnificent tragedy" of the setting. Graham Johnson writes that "Erlkönig is one of those songs that defies age (the composer's, particularly) and defines an age. Like Beethoven's Fifth Symphony it appeals to the great unwashed and the squeaky-clean in equal measure, to those who see something symbolic in the poem, and to those who simply love a rattling good yarn excitingly told. It was that rare thing:

1518-496: The 1820s and 30s, "Erlkönig" was unanimously acclaimed among the Schubert circle, critics and general audiences, with critics hailing the work as "a masterpiece of musical painting", "a composition full of fantasy and feeling, which had to be repeated", "an ingenious piece" that leaves an "indelible impression". No other performance of Schubert's work during his lifetime would receive more attention than "Erlkönig". Joseph von Spaun sent

1584-1959: The Erl-King declares that he will take the child by force. The boy shrieks that he has been attacked, spurring the father to ride faster to the Hof . Upon reaching the destination, the child is already dead. Wer reitet so spät durch Nacht und Wind? Es ist der Vater mit seinem Kind; Er hat den Knaben wohl in dem Arm, Er faßt ihn sicher, er hält ihn warm. Mein Sohn, was birgst du so bang dein Gesicht? Siehst, Vater, du den Erlkönig nicht? Den Erlenkönig mit Kron' und Schweif? Mein Sohn, es ist ein Nebelstreif. "Du liebes Kind, komm, geh mit mir! Gar schöne Spiele spiel' ich mit dir; Manch' bunte Blumen sind an dem Strand, Meine Mutter hat manch gülden Gewand." Mein Vater, mein Vater, und hörest du nicht, Was Erlenkönig mir leise verspricht? Sei ruhig, bleibe ruhig, mein Kind; In dürren Blättern säuselt der Wind. "Willst, feiner Knabe, du mit mir gehn? Meine Töchter sollen dich warten schön; Meine Töchter führen den nächtlichen Reihn, Und wiegen und tanzen und singen dich ein." Mein Vater, mein Vater, und siehst du nicht dort Erlkönigs Töchter am düstern Ort? Mein Sohn, mein Sohn, ich seh' es genau: Es scheinen die alten Weiden so grau. "Ich liebe dich, mich reizt deine schöne Gestalt; Und bist du nicht willig, so brauch' ich Gewalt." Mein Vater, mein Vater, jetzt faßt er mich an! Erlkönig hat mir ein Leids getan! Dem Vater grauset's; er reitet geschwind, Er hält in den Armen das ächzende Kind, Erreicht den Hof mit Mühe und Not; In seinen Armen, das Kind war tot. Who rides, so late, through night and wind? It

1650-485: The Erlking appropriating the minor tonality originally associated with the father and his child. The boy cries out to his father a final time, heard in fff . The "passing note motif" on the word "Erlkönig" suggest that the fate of the child is sealed. Dem Vater grauset's, er reitet geschwind, Er hält in Armen das ächzende Kind, Erreicht den Hof mit Müh' und Not; In seinen Armen das Kind war tot.   It horrifies

1716-409: The Erlking speaks again, the ominous bass motif foreshadows the outcome of the song. The Erlkönig's luring now becomes more insistent. He threatens the boy, the initial lyricism and playfulness yielding to a measured declamation, with the "passing note motif" being voiced both in the treble and in the bass. Upon the word "Gewalt" (force), the tonality has modulated from E ♭ major to D minor, with

1782-438: The Erlking – are all sung by a single vocalist. The narrator lies in the middle range and begins in the minor mode. The father lies in the lower range and sings in both minor and major mode. The son lies in a higher range, also in the minor mode. The Erlking's vocal line, in the major mode, provides the only break from the ostinato bass triplets in the accompaniment until the boy's death. Schubert places each character largely in

1848-412: The Erlking's first verse, the octave triplets resume immediately after the verse. "Mein Vater, mein Vater, und siehst du nicht dort Erlkönigs Töchter am düstern Ort?" "Mein Sohn, mein Sohn, ich seh' es genau: Es scheinen die alten Weiden so grau."   "My father, my father, and don't you see there Erlking's daughters in the gloomy place?" "My son, my son, I see it clearly: There shimmer

1914-434: The Erlking's words is highlighted by the immediate resumption of the original triplet motif, just after the Erlking finishes his verse. The chromaticism in the son's melody indicates a call to his father, creating dissonances between the vocal part and the bass that evoke the boy's horror. The harmonic instability in this verse allude to the child's feverish wandering. The father's tonal center becomes increasingly distant from

1980-462: The Erlkönig derives from the traditional Danish ballad Elveskud : Goethe's poem was inspired by Johann Gottfried Herder 's translation of a variant of the ballad ( Danmarks gamle Folkeviser 47B , from Peter Syv's 1695 edition) into German as Erlkönigs Tochter ("The Erl-King's Daughter") in his collection of folk songs, Stimmen der Völker in Liedern (published 1778). Goethe's poem then took on

2046-519: The Middle Ages, but there is little consensus beyond this. Many scholars suggest a Breton or French origin but the routes by which it came to and was disseminated within Northern Europe are unknown. The ballad has close parallels across Europe (the closest English-language parallel being " Clerk Colvill "). The earliest surviving manuscript is Karen Brahes Folio , a Danish manuscript from the 1570s;

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2112-462: The aged grey willows deceiving thy sight. "I love thee, I'm charm'd by thy beauty, dear boy! And if thou'rt unwilling, then force I'll employ." My father, my father, he seizes me fast, For sorely, the Erl-King has hurt me at last. The father now gallops, with terror half wild, He grasps in his arms the poor shuddering child; He reaches his courtyard with toil and with dread, The child in his arms finds he motionless, dead. The story of

2178-484: The arrangements: "Most, like Liszt's transcriptions of the Lieder or Berlioz's orchestration for Erlkönig, tell us more about the arranger than about the original composer, but they can be diverting so long as they are in no way a replacement for the original." Franz Liszt arranged "Erlkönig" for solo piano as part of his Twelve Songs by Franz Schubert , S. 558, which was published in 1838 and revised in 1876. Compared to

2244-2319: The ballad, generally known as "Kvæði af Ólafi liljurós", is The most widely known version of "Elveskud" is that published by Peder Syv in 1695, given here in modernised spelling: Mangen rider rank og rød,  er dog morgen krank og død. 1. Hr. Olof han rider så vide alt til sit bryllup at byde. Men dansen den går så let gennem lunden. 2. Der danse fire, og der danse fem, ellekongens datter rækker hånden frem. 3. "Velkommen, hr. Oluf, lad fare din fig, bi lidet og træd her i dansen med mig.« 4. Jeg ikke tør, jeg ikke må: imorgen skal mit bryllup stå.« 5. Hør du, hr. Oluf, træd dansen med mig: to bukkeskinds støvler så giver jeg dig. 6. To bukkeskinds støvler, sidder vel om ben, forgyldene spore derom spændt. 7. Hør du, hr. Ole, træd dansen med mig: en silkeskjorte giver jeg dig. 8. En silkeskjorte så hvid og fin, den blegte min moder ved måneskin.« 9. Jeg ikke tør, jeg ikke må: i morgen skal mit bryllup stå.« 10. Hør du, hr. Oluf, træd dansen med mig: et hoved af guld så giver jeg dig.« 11. "Et hoved af guld kan jeg vel få,  men danse med dig tør jeg ej så.« 12. »Og vil du ikke danse med mig, sot og sygdom skal følge dig.« 13. Hun slog hannem mellem sine hærde, aldrig var han slagen værre 14. Hun Iøfted hr. Oluf på ganger rød: »Og rid nu hjem til din fæstemØ.« 15. Der han kom til borgeled, der står hans moder og hviler ved 16. "Hør du, hr. Oluf, kær sønnen min hvi bær' du nu så bleg en kind?« 17. Og jeg må vel bære kinden bleg, for jeg har været i ellekonenes leg 18. Hør du, hr. Ole, min sØn så prud: hvad skal jeg svare din unge brud?« 19. I skal sige, jeg er udi lunde, at prøve min hest og så mine hunde.« 20 .Årle om morgen, dag det var, da kom den brud med brudeskar'. 21. De skænkte mjød, og de skænkte vin: »Hvor er hr. Ole, brudgom min?« 22. Hr. Oluf han red sig hen i lunde, han prøved sin hest og så sine hunde.« 23. Hun tog op det skarlagen rød: der lå hr. Oluf og var død. 24. Årle om morgen, dag det var, der komme tre lig af hr. Oles gård. 25. Hr. Oluf og hans fæstemø, hans moder blev og af sorgen død. Men dansen den går så let gennem lunden. Many ride tall and red but in

2310-399: The child was dead. Who rides there so late through the night dark and drear? The father it is, with his infant so dear; He holdeth the boy tightly clasp'd in his arm, He holdeth him safely, he keepeth him warm. My son, wherefore seek'st thou thy face thus to hide? Look, father, the Erl-King is close by our side! Dost see not the Erl-King, with crown and with train? My son, 'tis

2376-410: The child's feverish imagination. As the piece progresses, the first in the groups of three quavers is dotted to create a breathless pace, which then forms a bass figure in the piano driving through to the final crisis. The last words, war tot , leap from the lower dominant to the sharpened third of the home key; this time not to the major but to a diminished chord , which settles chromatically through

2442-411: The child's, suggesting a rivalry over possession of the boy with the Erlking. "Willst, feiner Knabe, du mit mir gehn? Meine Töchter sollen dich warten schön; Meine Töchter führen den nächtlichen Reihn, Und wiegen und tanzen und singen dich ein, Sie wiegen und tanzen und singen dich ein."   "Do you, fine boy, want to go with me? My daughters shall wait on you finely; My daughters lead

2508-436: The composition to Goethe, hoping to receive his approval for a print. The latter, however, sent it back without comment, as he categorically rejected Schubert's form of the through-composed song . However, when Wilhelmine Schröder-Devrient performed "Erlkönig" before Goethe in 1830, he is reported by Eduard Genast to have said: "I have heard this composition once before, when it did not appeal to me at all; but sung in this way

2574-455: The daemonic presence be forgotten. The "passing note motif" is used twice. "Mein Vater, mein Vater, und hörest du nicht, Was Erlenkönig mir leise verspricht?" "Sei ruhig, bleibe ruhig, mein Kind; In dürren Blättern säuselt der Wind."   "My father, my father, and do you not hear What Erlking quietly promises me?" "Be calm, stay calm, my child; The wind is rustling through dry leaves." The son's fear and anxiety in response to

2640-495: The dance goes lightly through the grove. These and other available translations by Borrow, Prior, etc., are listed in Syndergaard's survey: The ballad has inspired a very large number of reworkings. Most famously, a translation of a Danish variant ( DFG 47B , from Peter Syv's 1695 edition) into German by Johann Gottfried Herder as "Erlkönigs tochter" inspired Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's poem " Der Erlkönig ", which developed

2706-512: The earliest surviving Swedish version is from the 1670s. At least seventy Scandinavian variants are known; over forty come from Denmark, and seventeen from Sweden. It is also widely known as: In the summary of The Types of the Scandinavian Medieval Ballad , Not all versions precisely fit this summary. For example, in many Danish versions, Olav does dance with the elves, sometimes to death; in some versions in Denmark, Norway and Sweden Olav's death

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2772-636: The effort; his sketch, however, was full enough to be published in a completion by Reinhold Becker (1897). A few other 19th-century versions are those by Václav Tomášek (1815), Carl Borromäus von Miltitz (1835), and Louis Spohr (1856, with obbligato violin; Op. 154 No. 4) and Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst (Polyphonic Studies for Solo Violin), though his was essentially a transcription of Schubert's version for solo violin. Twenty-first-century examples are pianist Marc-André Hamelin 's "Etude No. 8 (after Goethe)" for solo piano, based on "Erlkönig". Neue Deutsche Härte band Rammstein inspired their song Dalai Lama by

2838-477: The father's tonality of C minor is followed by the Neapolitan chord of A ♭ major, as the father spurs his horse to go faster and then arrives at his destination. Before this chord is resolved, the triplet motif stops, and the final rendition of the "passing note motif" in the bass seems to seal the fate of the boy. The recitative , in absence of the piano, draws attention to the dramatic text and amplifies

2904-421: The father, he swiftly rides on, He holds the groaning child in his arms, Reaches the farm with great difficulty; In his arms, the child was dead. The music intensifies further, Schubert once again creating tension through the "galloping motif". The grace notes in the voice line suggest the father's horror, and the music accelerates on the words "er reitet geschwind" (he swiftly rides on). A final allusion to

2970-425: The galloping effect by repeated figures of crotchet and quaver , or sometimes three quavers, overlying the binary tremolo of the semiquavers in the piano. In addition to an unusual sense of motion, this creates a flexible template for the stresses in the words to fall correctly within the rhythmic structure. Loewe's version is less melodic than Schubert's, with an insistent, repetitive harmonic structure between

3036-425: The gloomy place? My son, my son, I see it clearly: There shimmer the old willows so grey. "I love you, your beautiful form excites me; And if you're not willing, then I will use force." My father, my father, he's grabbing me now! The Erl-King has done me harm! The father is horrified; he swiftly rides on, He holds the moaning child in his arms, Reaches the farm with great difficulty; In his arms,

3102-663: The home key in the major and then to the minor. Erlk%C3%B6nig (Schubert) " Erlkönig ", Op. 1, D 328, is a Lied composed by Franz Schubert in 1815 , which sets Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 's poem of the same name . The singer takes the role of four characters — the narrator, a father, his small son, and the titular " Erlking ", a supernatural creature who pursues the boy — each of whom exhibit different tessitura , harmonic and rhythmic characteristics. A technically challenging piece for both performers and accompanists, "Erlkönig" has been popular and acclaimed since its premiere in 1821, and has been described as one of

3168-456: The horse red, "Ride back to thy betrothed maiden." 15. Then he came to his castle gate, that his mother is resting beside. 16. "Listen, Sir Oluf, my son, why are thy cheeks so pale? 17. "My cheeks are pale, because I've been in the elf-wives' gate." 18. "Listen, Sir Ole, my son so proud, what should I tell thy young bride?" 19. "I will say I'm outside in the grove, to ride my horse, and try my dogs." 20. Then in

3234-509: The immense loss and sorrow caused by the Son's death. The resolution of C ♯ to D major implies a "submission to the daemonic forces", followed by the final cadence delivering "a perfect consummation to the song". The song has a tonal scheme based on rising semitones which portrays the increasingly desperate situation: The "Mein Vater, mein Vater" music appears three times on a prolonged dominant seventh chord that slips chromatically into

3300-637: The legs, gilded spurs buckled on." 7. Listen, Sir Oluf, dance with me, a silken shirt I will give to thee." 8. A silken shirt so white and fine, my mother bleached it in the moonshine." 9. "I don't dare, I don't have to: tomorrow I will be wed." 10. "Listen, Sir Oluf, dance with me, a lump [lit. "a head"] of gold I will give to thee." 11. "A lump of gold I can receive, but dance with thee I dare not." 12. "And if thou wilt not dance with me, plague and disease will follow thee." 13. She struck him between his shoulders, never had he been hit harder. 14. She lifted Sir Oluf onto

3366-404: The mist rising over the plain. "Oh, come, thou dear infant! oh come thou with me! For many a game, I will play there with thee; On my strand, lovely flowers their blossoms unfold, My mother shall grace thee with garments of gold." My father, my father, and dost thou not hear The words that the Erl-King now breathes in mine ear? Be calm, dearest child, 'tis thy fancy deceives; 'Tis

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3432-510: The morning sick and dead. 1. Sir Olof he rides so far to his wedding to offer his hand, and the dance goes so lightly through the grove. 2. There dance four, and there dance five, elfking's daughter reaches out her hand. 3. "Welcome, Sir Oluf, let thy burdens go, stay a little, and dance with me." 4. "I don't dare, I may not: tomorrow I will be wed." 5. "Listen, Sir Oluf, dance with me, two buckskin boots I will give to thee." 6. Two buckskin boots, fitting well around

3498-456: The morning, day it was, came the bride in her bride-gown. 21. "They gave me mead, they gave me wine, where is Sir Ole, my groom?" 22. "Sir Oluf rode into the grove, he's trying his horse, and his dogs." 23. She took up the scarlet red, there lay Oluf, and he was dead. 24. Early in morning, day it was, there comes three corpses off Sir Ole's farm. 25. Sir Oluf and his bride to be, his mother died from sorrow. but

3564-428: The most performed, reworked and recorded compositions ever written. Schubert composed "Erlkönig" at the age of 18 in 1815 – Joseph von Spaun claims that it was written in a few hours one afternoon. He revised the song three times before publishing his fourth version in 1821 as his Opus 1. The work was first performed in concert on 1 December 1820 at a private gathering in Vienna. The public premiere on 7 March 1821 at

3630-409: The motifs in this poem. Franz Schubert composed his Lied "Erlkönig" for solo voice and piano at the age of 17 or 18 in 1815, setting text from Goethe's poem. The work was first performed in concert on 1 December 1820 at a private gathering in Vienna. The public premiere on 7 March 1821 at the Theater am Kärntnertor was a great success, and he quickly rose to fame among the composers in Vienna. It

3696-411: The narrator's neutral point of view. "Mein Sohn, was birgst du so bang dein Gesicht?" "Siehst, Vater, du den Erlkönig nicht? Den Erlenkönig mit Kron' und Schweif?" "Mein Sohn, es ist ein Nebelstreif."   "My son, why do you hide your face in fear?" "Father, do you not see the Erlking? The Erlking with crown and tail?" "My son, it is a streak of fog." The father's question to his son

3762-531: The next key. Following the tonal scheme, each cry is a semitone higher than the last, and, as in Goethe's poem, the time between the second two cries is less than the first two, increasing the urgency like a large-scale stretto . Much of the major-key music is coloured by the flattened submediant , giving it a darker, unsettled sound. The premiere in 1821 was an immediate success; the large audience broke out in "rapturous applause", as Joseph von Spaun reported. During

3828-401: The nightly dance, And rock and dance and sing you to sleep, They rock and dance and sing you to sleep." The Erlkönig's enticement intensifies. The piano accompaniment transforms into flowing major arpeggios that may refer to the dances of the Erlking's daughters and the troubled half-sleep of the child. The presence of the daemonic is once again highlighted by the "passing note motif". As in

3894-508: The old willows so grey." The son cries out to his father, his fear again illustrated in rising pitch and chromaticism. "Ich liebe dich, mich reizt deine schöne Gestalt; Und bist du nicht willig, so brauch' ich Gewalt." "Mein Vater, mein Vater, jetzt fasst er mich an! Erlkönig hat mir ein Leids getan!"   "I love you, your beautiful form excites me; And if you're not willing, then I will use force." "My father, my father, he's touching me now! Erlking has done me harm!" Before

3960-405: The opening minor key and answering phrases in the major key of the dominant , which have a stark quality owing to their unusual relationship to the home key. The narrator's phrases are echoed by the voices of father and son, the father taking up the deeper, rising phrase, and the son a lightly undulating, answering theme around the dominant fifth. These two themes also evoke the rising and moaning of

4026-407: The original, Liszt retains many of the basic musical elements, including melody, harmony, accompanimental patterns, and dynamics. The melody is transcribed to different registers of the piano: the narrator and the son remain in the same register as the voice, the father moves an octave lower, and the Erlking moves an octave higher. Liszt, being a virtuoso pianist, adds even more technical challenges for

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4092-619: The pianist, for instance turning the bass motif in the left hand into octaves: A critic for the Courrier de Lyon remarked on these octaves: "Those scales, so numerous and so rapid, whose rolling, like that of the thunder, made the listeners tremble with terror, who else but Liszt, in order to increase their sonority, would have dared play them in octaves?" Liszt performed his "Erlkönig" 65 times during his tours of Germany between 1840 and 1845, more than any of his operatic paraphrases. Ludwig Rellstab , who reviewed one such concert, wrote in 1841 in

4158-429: The sad wind that sighs through the withering leaves. "Wilt go, then, dear infant, wilt go with me there? My daughters shall tend thee with sisterly care; My daughters by night their glad festival keep, They'll dance thee, and rock thee, and sing thee to sleep." My father, my father, and dost thou not see, How the Erl-King his daughters has brought here for me? My darling, my darling, I see it aright, 'Tis

4224-402: The son, which is expressed by the low register of the singing voice. "Du liebes Kind, komm, geh mit mir! Gar schöne Spiele spiel' ich mit dir; Manch' bunte Blumen sind an dem Strand, Meine Mutter hat manch gülden Gewand."   "You dear child, come, go with me! Very lovely games I'll play with you; Some colorful flowers are on the beach, My mother has some golden robes." After

4290-415: The whole shapes itself into a visible picture". "Erlkönig" has had enjoyed enduring popularity since its inception to this day. Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau has highlighted the piano accompaniment in the setting, which he describes as having a "compositional life of its own", with important motifs such as the repeated octaves that create an eerie, suspenseful atmosphere. Furthermore, Fischer-Dieskau praised

4356-419: The wind. The Erl-King, who is always heard pianissimo , does not sing melodies, but instead delivers insubstantial rising arpeggios that outline a single major chord (that of the home key) which sounds simultaneously on the piano in una corda tremolo . Only with his final threatening word, "Gewalt", does he depart from this chord. Loewe's implication is that the Erlking has no substance but merely exists in

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