"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. Schubert composed "Erlkönig" at the age of 18 in 1815.
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 the "commanding compositions of the century".
PERFORMANCE
Nathan Miller
Erlking sand art with subtitles