This document discusses Franz Schubert and the early Romantic art song, or Lied. It provides background on the art song genre and notes that Schubert was one of its most prolific composers, writing over 600 art songs. Two of Schubert's most famous art songs discussed in detail are "Die Forelle" and "Erlkönig." "Die Forelle" sets a poem about a trout to music, while "Erlkönig" is a dramatic work for voice and piano based on a poem about a father riding with his ill child and encountering a supernatural figure of death. The document examines elements like forms, word-music relationships, and character roles in Schubert's composition of "Erl

1. THE ENJOYMENT OF MUSIC
ESSENTIAL LISTENING
EDITION
by
Kristine Forney
Andrew Dell’Antonio
Joseph Machlis
THIRD EDITION
Lecture Slides

2. Chapter 33
Musical Reading:
Schubert and the Early Romantic Lied

3. Musical Reading:
Schubert and the Early Romantic Lied
“Out of my great sorrows I make my little songs.”
—Heinrich Heine

4. The Romantic Art Song
• A poem set to music
• Typical subjects: love,
nature, beauty, death,
and heroism
• Performed in small
gatherings in people’s
homes; later
performed in concert
halls
• Singer and piano equally
important
– Piano: introduction and
ending section
– Melodies heard in both
parts in a musical
dialogue
– Poetry and music both
high art

5. The Art Song
• Many composers set poems in
native language
• Favored poets: Goethe, Heine
• German art song: Lied
• Art song-filled with unrequited
love, beauty of nature,
supernatural folk tales, reaching
out of the soul
• Translation of mood & imagery
into music; mood set by
introduction & postlude(end of
piece)

6. Forms of Art Songs
• Strophic and Modified Strophic: Several
verses of poetry with the same (or basically the
same) music (e.g., The Trout)
• Through-composed: Music does not repeat
itself in a a specific pattern as the poem unfolds
(e.g., The Erlking)
• Song Cycles: groups of songs that tell a story
or reflect on nature, beauty (e.g., Winterreise)

7. Franz Schubert (1779-1828)
• Born in Vienna; member of Vienna Boy’s Choir
• Son of school master
• Pianist and violinist
• Wrote Gretchen am Spinnrade at 17
• Started out as a teacher, but quit to compose at 21.
• Income came entirely from composition, gifted songwriter
• Home & Salon concerts
• Usually lived with friends, did not mingle with upper class
• Contracted syphilis at 25, moody & prone to despair
• Like Mozart, he died at a young age (31), after 5 years of illness.
• Applied to musical positions but not accepted

8. Franz Schubert (1797 - 1828)
• A prolific composer of German lieder (art
songs)
• Regional fame
• His songs involve texts from some of the
greatest writers of his day.
• Other works:
– 9 symphonies, many piano sonatas, chamber
music
– “The Trout”--a song and a piano quintet
– Symphony no. 8--”Unfinished”
– “Death and the Maiden”--a song and a string
quartet
– “Serenade”--a song and a piano piece
– 7 masses
– Over 600 art songs

9. Franz Schubert
• Die Forelle(The
Trout)
– 1817
– Text by Christian
Daniel Schubart
– Trout caught by
fisherman
– Also as string
quartet

10. Die Forelle
• Die Forelle

11. Franz Schubert “Erlkönig”
• A drama set to music;
characters
– Narrator
– Father
– Child
– The Erlking (death)
• Only one performer with
piano accompaniment
• Text is a poem by Wolfgang
Goethe--a ballad--poem that
tells a story.
• Through-composed

12. Franz Schubert “Erlkönig”
• Word-Music Relationships--song fits the content,
meter, and rhyme scheme of the poem.
– Rhythm--repetitive rhythmic figure in the accompaniment
represents the horse.
– Register--three characters and the narrator each have a
particular register of the singer’s voice.
– Dynamics--reflect the story; father is always loud; child is
soft then loud; Erlking is softer and softer until very loud at
end.
– Harmony--key of g minor; shifts to major when the Erlking
“speaks”--provides harmonic variety to the song.

13. The Erlking: The Story
• Child asks Father if he can
see The Erlking.
• Father says he can only
see Willow Trees.
• Child resists, but The
Erlking takes him by force.
• When Father arrives
home, his Child is dead!
• Father is riding horse at
night with his Child.
• Child is afraid; he sees the
Erlking (Death).
• Father reassures Child as
they ride.
• Erlking entices the Child to
come with Him.
• Child expresses fear

14. Erlkönig
• The Erlkonig

15. Schubert: Elfking (Erlkönig)

16. Schubert: Elfking (Erlkönig)

17. by
Kristine Forney
Andrew Dell’Antonio
Joseph Machlis
Lecture Slides
THIRD EDITION
THE ENJOYMENT OF MUSIC
ESSENTIAL LISTENING EDITION
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