{"id":731,"date":"2008-02-03T16:03:27","date_gmt":"2008-02-04T00:03:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/2008\/02\/03\/schuberts-erlkonig\/"},"modified":"2013-02-07T18:38:27","modified_gmt":"2013-02-08T02:38:27","slug":"schuberts-erlkonig","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/2008\/02\/03\/schuberts-erlkonig\/","title":{"rendered":"schubert’s erlk\u00c3\u00b6nig"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last night, after his brilliant performance of the Beethoven Second Piano Concerto, Kirill Gerstein<\/a> played an encore that I’d never heard before, at least on piano alone. It was Erlk\u00c3\u00b6nig<\/em> – originally a song by Schubert, transcribed for solo piano by Liszt. I had heard a similar transcription, by the violinist Max Ernst, for solo violin – and that is even more impressive.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Here are the lyrics to the original song:<\/p>\n

Wer reitet so sp\u00c3\u00a4t durch Nacht und Wind?
\nEs ist der Vater mit seinem Kind;
\nEr hat den Knaben wohl in dem Arm,
\nEr fa\u00c3\u0178t ihn sicher, er h\u00c3\u00a4lt ihn warm.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Mein Sohn, was birgst du so bang dein Gesicht?”
\n“Siehst, Vater, du den Erlk\u00c3\u00b6nig nicht?
\nDen Erlenk\u00c3\u00b6nig mit Kron und Schweif?”
\n“Mein Sohn, es ist ein Nebelstreif.”<\/p>\n

“Du liebes Kind, komm, geh mit mir!
\nGar sch\u00c3\u00b6ne Spiele spiel’ ich mit dir;
\nManch’ bunte Blumen sind an dem Strand,
\nMeine Mutter hat manch g\u00c3\u00bclden Gewand.”<\/p>\n

“Mein Vater, mein Vater, und h\u00c3\u00b6rest du nicht,
\nWas Erlenk\u00c3\u00b6nig mir leise verspricht?”
\n“Sei ruhig, bleibe ruhig, mein Kind;
\nIn d\u00c3\u00bcrren Bl\u00c3\u00a4ttern s\u00c3\u00a4uselt der Wind.”<\/p>\n

“Willst, feiner Knabe, du mit mir gehn?
\nMeine T\u00c3\u00b6chter sollen dich warten sch\u00c3\u00b6n;
\nMeine T\u00c3\u00b6chter f\u00c3\u00bchren den n\u00c3\u00a4chtlichen Reihn,
\nUnd wiegen und tanzen und singen dich ein.”<\/p>\n

“Mein Vater, mein Vater, und siehst du nicht dort
\nErlk\u00c3\u00b6nigs T\u00c3\u00b6chter am d\u00c3\u00bcstern Ort?”
\n“Mein Sohn, mein Sohn, ich seh es genau:
\nEs scheinen die alten Weiden so grau.”<\/p>\n

“Ich liebe dich, mich reizt deine sch\u00c3\u00b6ne Gestalt;
\nUnd bist du nicht willig, so brauch ich Gewalt.”
\n“Mein Vater, mein Vater, jetzt fa\u00c3\u0178t er mich an!
\nErlk\u00c3\u00b6nig hat mir ein Leids getan!”<\/p>\n

Dem Vater grauset’s, er reitet geschwind,
\nEr h\u00c3\u00a4lt in Armen das \u00c3\u00a4chzende Kind,
\nErreicht den Hof mit M\u00c3\u00bch’ und Not;
\nIn seinen Armen das Kind war tot.<\/p>\n

Who rides so late through night and wind?
\nIt is the father with his child.
\nHe holds the boy safe in his arm
\nHe holds him safe, he keeps him warm.<\/p>\n

“My son, why do you hide your face so fearfully?”
\n“Father, do you not see the Elf king?
\nThe Elf king with crown and robe?”
\n“My son, it’s a wisp of fog.”<\/p>\n

“You lovely child, come, go with me!
\nNothing but beautiful games I’ll play with you;
\nMany colourful flowers are on the shore,
\nMy mother has many golden robes.”<\/p>\n

“My father, my father, can’t you hear,
\nWhat the Elf king quietly promises me?”
\n“Be calm, stay calm, my child;
\nIt is the wind rustling in the dry leaves.”<\/p>\n

“Do you want to come with me, fine lad?
\nMy daughters should already be waiting for you;
\nMy daughters lead the nightly folkdance
\nAnd rock you and dance and sing.”<\/p>\n

“My father, my father, and can’t you see there,
\nThe Elf king daughters in the gloomy place?”
\n“My son, my son, I see it well:
\nIt is the old grey willows gleaming.”<\/p>\n

“I love you, your beautiful form entices me;
\nAnd if you’re not willing, I shall use force.”
\n“My father, my father, now he takes hold of me!
\nThe Elf king has wounded me!”<\/p>\n

It horrifies the father; he rides swiftly,
\nHolding in his arms the moaning child.
\nHe reaches the yard with great difficulty;
\nIn his arms, the child was dead.<\/p>\n

First, here’s the original version for singer and piano, sung incomparably by Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau in a London performance from 1959 with Gerald Moore at the piano:<\/p>\n