LIED SCHUBERT DER ERLKONIG BACKGROUND The Romantic period

LIED: SCHUBERT – DER ERLKONIG

BACKGROUND The Romantic period saw the rise of the art song which became an important new genre during the 1800 s. An art song can be likened to a small scale opera aria that was intended to be sung in small, intimate surroundings. The singer did not require the vocal power of an opera singer, and the piano functioned as the orchestra.

BACKGROUND An art song may be defined as a musical setting of a poem for the voice done in such a way that the meaning of the words is enhanced by the music. Art songs are almost always for solo voice accompanied by piano, although the guitar was also used. A range of expressive abilities on the piano became available as the instrument developed, and in turn resulted in composers writing more complex and technically demanding accompaniments.

BACKGROUND The length of an art song depends on the length of the poem that was used. Art songs have been written in every language, but when we talk of Romantic art songs we think mainly of the art songs by many German composers. Art songs with German texts are called Lieder (singular: Lied). Most important composers of Romantic Lieder: Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Wolf and Strauss.

FRANZ SCHUBERT AND THE GERMAN LIED

FRANZ SCHUBERT Schubert was an Austrian composer. He received a thorough musical education and could sing and play the piano, violin and the organ. At the age of 11 he won a scholarship at the Imperial court in Vienna.

FRANZ SCHUBERT Here, he received further tuition from Court composer, Antonio Salieri, who regarded Schubert as a musical genius Schubert was already composing prolifically, and by the time he was 17 years old he had written piano pieces, string quartets, a symphony and an opera.

FRANZ SCHUBERT In 1815 he wrote two more symphonies as well as two of the Lieder that are counted amongst his greatest works: Der Erlkonig (The Elf King), and Gretchen am Spinnrade (Margaret at the spinning wheel; Gretchen is a German nickname for Margaret). Both are settings of poems by one of the great German poets, Johann Wolfgang van Goethe.

FRANZ SCHUBERT Schubert’s works include operas, symphonies, chamber music, and piano works such as sonatas, numerous character pieces and piano duets. It is, however, his Lieder that have brought him lasting recognition. He wrote more than 500 such works, and he is widely credited with having created the genre.

THE LIED DER ERLKONIG (THE ELF KING)

THE LIED DER ERLKONIG (THE ELF KING) Most of the poems that Schubert set made reference in some way or another to nature. The images of nature in Der Erlkonig are closely linked to the Goethe’s interpretation of the old German myth on which the poem is based. Before continuing with this Power. Point, watch the first video of The Elf King. https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=JS 91 p-vm. Sf 0 created by Oxford Lieder

THE LIED DER ERLKONIG (THE ELF KING) According to the myth, when a child is about to die, the Elf King will appear – but only the child could see him. (The supernatural is a common element in Romantic artworks. ) The setting is a cold, dark windy night. A father is riding home on horseback, holding his son safely warmly in his arms.

THE LIED DER ERLKONIG (THE ELF KING) The child starts hiding his face, and when the father asks why, his child replies that he sees the Elf King. His father tries to reassure him, but his child becomes more anxious, because the Elf King becomes more and more insistent that he should come with him.

THE LIED DER ERLKONIG (THE ELF KING) The father knows the myth, and no matter how hard he tries to reassure his son, he himself becomes terrified too. They gallop faster and faster until they finally arrive at home, only for the father to discover that his son has died in his arms. Watch the video again, and see if you can follow the story more clearly this time.

THE STRUCTURE OF THE SONG This lied is through-composed. This means that it has its own unique structure that is not one of the standard forms such as binary or ternary. It does not mean it does not have any structure. The structure is clearly defined, and it follows the stages of the story closely.

THE STRUCTURE OF THE SONG There are four different characters: the narrator, the father, his son, and the Elf King. The narrator introduces the story and also ends it, and the father, his son and the Elf King take turns to present the narrative.

USE OF MOTIVES Schubert uses motives in the piano accompaniment to reflect not only the visual images in the text, but also the state of the father and son. The triplet in the piano accompaniment, represents the horse galloping. Watch the second video, taking careful note of how the piano accompaniment adds to the story, and to how the singer represents all the different characters. https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=j. Zxzz-N 3 ox. M Philippe Sly and Maria Fuller

SUMMARY 1. Give a comprehensive definition of “art song”. 2. What was the role of the piano in this genre? 3. What are art songs with German texts called? 4. Name four composers of art song? 5. What was Schubert's nationality? 6. How many Lieder did he write? 7. Name the four characters in The Elf King. 8. Explain the German myth in the story. 9. What does through-composed mean? 10. Discuss how the meaning of the poem is enhanced by the musical elements.