Franz Schubert

Erlkoenig, D. 328/op. 1

Franz Schubert (1797-1828) composed Erlkönig (The Erlking; Le Roi des Aulnes) in 1815, setting Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's celebrated ballad of a father's desperate ride through the night as his child is pursued by the supernatural Erl King. Published in 1821 as Schubert's Op. 1 and premiered publicly that year at Vienna's Theater am Kärntnertor, the song quickly became one of the composer's most famous works. A little over twenty years later, Franz Liszt (1811-1886) created a piano transcription of the Lied in 1838 as part of his 12 Lieder von Franz Schubert, S. 558. Liszt preserves the relentless galloping rhythm and dramatic vocal characterization in his version for solo piano. This orchestration of Liszt's piano version of Erlkönig has been completed by Charles J. Roberts. Instrumentation: 1.1.2.1: 2.0+2(Crnt).1.0: Timp.Perc(1-2): Str (9.8.7.6.5 in set): CS (Pno-Cond) in set. Reprint edition.