Franz Schubert’s setting of “Erlkönig,” a poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe; sung by Russian-born American bass Alexander Kipnis.

What is the musical form of Erlkönig?

Schubert’s “Erlkönig” is a lied ballad based off of the poem “Erlkönig” by Johann Wolfgang Van Goethe. A lied ballad is a type of miniature composition (Greenberg, 209) in which a narrative piece (usually a poem) serves as the fundamental subject matter for a song.

Is Erlkönig through composed?

Der Erlkönig is a through-composed piece, meaning that with each line of text there is new music. Although the melodic motives recur, the harmonic structure is constantly changing and the piece modulates within characters.

What is the rhythm of Erlkönig?

The piece begins in forte but soon moves to pianissimo before eventually moving to mezzo forte. This type of dynamic movement is common throughout the piece. The structure has two verses and is strophic. Schubert utilises melodic shape and contour throughout his piece to aid in the telling of the story.

What is the meaning of Erlkönig?

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 is a mistranslation from the original Danish elverkonge, which does mean “king of the elves.”

What is the alder King?

‘alder-king’) is a name used in German Romanticism for the figure of a spirit or “king of the fairies”. It is usually assumed that the name is a derivation from the ellekonge (older elverkonge, i.e. “Elf-king”) in Danish folklore.

Where was Erlkönig written?

ErlkönigScoringvoice pianoPremiereDate7 March 1821LocationVienna

How many characters are in der erlkonig?

The four characters in the song—narrator, father, son, and the Erlking—are usually all sung by a single vocalist; occasionally, however, the work is performed by four individual vocalists (or three, with one taking the parts of both the narrator and the Erlking).

What is the German term for art song?

The German tradition of art song composition is perhaps the most prominent one; it is known as Lieder.

Is Erlkönig strophic or through-composed?

Erlkonig is an example of a through-composed song, each verse has a different melody that expertly portray the character speaking. Die Forelle is in our modified strophic form: A (verse 1) – A (verse 2) – B – A’ (verse 3). It is a strong example of the Romantic Era’s attraction to nature, and folk-like melody.

Article first time published on

Which composer wrote over 600 art songs and used text painting in his accompaniments?

Schubert was remarkably prolific, writing over 1,500 works in his short career. The largest number of these are songs for solo voice and piano (over 600).

Are hymns strophic?

Common examples of the strophic form include hymns and folk songs. The hymn ‘Amazing Grace’ is a strophic hymn; the same music is sung for each of the seven verses of the poem.

What is the moral of Erlkönig?

Goethe’s poem embodies the universal theme of the loss of innocence. In this perspective, the Erlking becomes the monstrous maturity, which lures youth but destroys its innocence. The fatalistic tone of the poem suggests that innocence inevitably succumbs to, and is destroyed by, the socialization of adulthood.

Who is riding so late through night so wild?

Who rides so late in a night so wild? A father is riding with his child. He clasps the boy close in his arm; He holds him tightly, he keeps him warm.

What art song means?

Definition of art song : a usually through-composed song for solo voice and accompaniment — compare folk song.

What does Elf-King mean?

noun The king of the elves or fairies.

How does the Erkling end?

Towards the end of the poem, the young boy exclaims he is being attacked by the Erlking. The line reads: “My father, my father, he’s touching me now! The Elf-king has done me harm!

What is the German term for song?

The plural of lied, the German word for “song.”

What is European art song?

Based on what we’ve discussed so far, an art song might be defined as “a poem set to music, usually for trained voice and piano accompaniment with a duration of about three minutes.” The German word for such classical song is Lied (singular) and Lieder (plural), so that you will hear the terms “art song,” “lied” and ” …

What is the difference between an art song and an aria?

Have you ever wondered what the difference between an aria and an art song is? … The simplest answer is that a solo piece from an opera, oratorio, or cantata is an aria while a stand-alone (or sometimes part of a set or series, but not a full-blown cantata) is a song.

How is the character of the Elfking differentiated musically in the song?

Terms in this set (22) How is the character of the Elfking differentiated musically in the song? Lieder composers often set the same text as other Lieder composers. Romantic Lieder texts often speak of love and/or nature.

What best describes the music of Elfking?

Now listen to the music as the Elfking enters the story. Which best describes the Elfking’s music? It is in a major key. Over the course of the Lied, the son becomes more and more agitated.

What vocal music is through-composed?

In general, through-composed music is written without any repetition or return to previous musical material. We often use the term ‘through-composed’ to refer specifically to a kind of song, or short piece for vocal solo. In a through-composed song, the melody and lyrics change throughout the song.

What is strophic and through-composed form?

A song is said to be through-composed if it has different music for each stanza of the lyrics. This is in contrast to strophic form, in which each stanza is set to the same music. Sometimes the German durchkomponiert is used to indicate the same concept.

What is the piano representing in the trout?

11 This development explains why the piano accompaniment becomes more frantic: it represents both the muddying of the water and the panic of the trout.

What is the German term for solo voice and piano?

The German tradition of art song composition is perhaps the most prominent one; it is known as Lieder. In France, the term Mélodie distinguishes art songs from other French vocal pieces referred to as chansons.

Who invented the art song?

It was Schubert who established a benchmark as well as a new tradition. Art song became especially popular during the Romantic era of 19th century Europe. Mendelssohn, Brahms but especially Schumann expanded the form and vocabulary of Lieder.

When did lied become popular?

Polyphonic lieder reached a climax in the mid-16th century with the songs of Ludwig Senfl and his contemporaries. The invention of printing helped disseminate the secular polyphonic lieder, and many of the most popular ones were turned into sacred pieces by simply substituting a new text.

Why is strophic form popular?

Perhaps because of its simplicity and ability to create a strong tone and emotional effect, the strophic form is still very popular. Strophic songs repeat the rhythm and melody of one strophe throughout the song. This repetition is used in many children’s songs.

What does strophic mean in music?

Definition of strophic 1 : relating to, containing, or consisting of strophes. 2 of a song : using the same music for successive stanzas — compare through-composed.

What does through-composed mean in music?

Definition of through-composed of a song. : having new music provided for each stanza — compare strophic.