Erlkönig is a poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832) which was set to music in 1815 as a ballad by Franz Schubert (1797 - 1828) who was seventeen at the time. It tells the sad story of a father who rides home on horseback at night through a dark forest with his sick son. The boy is haunted by visions of the Elf King, a symbol of death. The child is delirious and asks the father to protect him. The father reassures the child that it is only mist and fog. When they finally arrive, the boy appears to have died. The song can be considered an example of Romanticism. A year earlier, in 1814, Schubert wrote his first ballad, Gretchen am Spinnrade, based on Goethe's Faust.
The song Erlkönig is an example of a through-composed song (no verses no refrain). The melody of the song changes constantly. The piano accompaniment suggests a galloping horse. The singer has to play four roles: 1. Father 3. Son 4 Erlkönig.
Contemporary images and even those from the past inspire me to recycle them for re-actionary contemporary impressionist art. My drawings and paintings are sketch impressions in a loose and free style, the paintings in a colorful palette. I also produce collages and digital artworks or find new inspirations and.. Read more…