An evil creature who murders children, a father and a son riding through a dark and windy night, and strange hallucinations, Schubert’s Der Erlkönig (The Alder King) has it all. Franz Schubert (1797-1828) composed Der Erlkönig in 1815 when he was just 18 years old. The piece was composed for voice and piano, and it was based on a poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe known as Erlkönig. The piece uses Goethe’s poem as lyrics, and lasts about 4 minutes. It’s particularly challenging to perform due to the four characters that the singer must portray and the fast octaves required for the piano part. Der Erlkönig is great in itself, but it’s especially impactful because of how it blends folklore and romantic-era-style composition.

The poem starts with the narrator introducing the setting, “Wer reitet so spät durch Nacht und Wind?" A father and a son ride on a dark and windy night. The father holds his ill son tight and asks why he looks so concerned. The son explains how he sees the erlkönig whispering to come with him. The poem goes on with the erlkönig continually trying to seduce the child with images of bright flowers and golden robes. The son constantly yells, “Mein Vater, mein Vater”, asking his father if he sees the creature. Every single time, the father dismisses the son’s visions as hallucinations of the dry leaves and fog. The poem ends grimly with the erlkönig taking the son’s life by force, resulting in the death of the son. 

Schubert’s Der Erlkönig is classified as a lied, a German art song that combines poetry and storytelling with music. Lieder were especially prominent in the 19th century romantic era. Although I love listening to music from the romantic era, I don’t listen to many art songs. Der Erlkönig, however, is one of my favorite pieces because of its dark and gothic sound. Many notable composers have made art songs to go along with Goethe’s Erlkönig, but, in my opinion, Schubert’s interpretation does the best job of distinguishing between each character and conveying each of their emotions. It’s clear that Schubert has his own definite interpretations and ideas on the poem, and his thoughts are shown clearly in his composition. 

The best thing about Schubert’s Der Erlkönig is the strong and defined interpretation, and it shows starting from the first measure. At 152 beats per minute, triplet octaves on the piano right hand represent the speed of the horse, drilling a sense of urgency in listeners. Additionally, throughout the whole piece, Schubert uses major and minor keys to differentiate between different moods and characters. The first instance is the father’s entrance: the father asks why the son looks anxious in a minor key to show his concern. The son responds in a minor key, in a higher range, to demonstrate his fear of the erlkönig. The father reassures his son in a major key that it’s just a wisp of fog. Finally, the erlkönig sings to the child in a major key to lure and entice the son. The piece continues in a similar manner, shifting between major and minor keys to portray the various characters and moods. 

My favorite thing about how Schubert uses different keys is the difference in the father’s reassurances. Throughout the piece, the father reassures the son three times in total. The first reassurance is all in major to indicate his confidence; the second reassurance is half in major and half in minor, showing increasing doubt; the third reassurance is all in minor, revealing that the father knows that his son will be taken by the erlkönig. In my eyes, this subtle, but genius, storytelling is what makes Der Erlkönig so special. Another fun fact about this piece is the eerie similarity between the father and the erlkönig. In the beginning, the father and the erlkönig both sing in the same key of Bb major. Also, the father and the erlkönig both seem to cadence (end) their phrases with a similar sol-sol-do pattern. In my eyes, this subtle, but genius, storytelling is what makes Der Erlkönig so special. 

From the desperate cries of an anxious child to the striking similarities between a father and a villain, Schubert’s Der Erlkönig has it all. Schubert’s Der Erlkönig is remembered today as one of the most popular German art songs, and I hope that my review has shed some light on the Der Erlkönig and the lieder genre as a whole.