For Thursday, February 7

Study the text and music of “Der Erlkönig” with the following questions in mind.

• Which of the three characters (Der Erlkönig, the father, and the child) or the narrator is singing each line/stanza?
• What are some common traits of each character’s music? (rhythm, register, modulation, length, etc.)
• Consider the relationship of keys/changes of key to the text sung by each character. (For example, I mentioned in class that the father tries, but fails, to control the key in order to “protect” his son from G. What other examples of such key–text or modulation–text relationships can you find?)
• Each character develops over the course of the song. How does each character develop—textually and musically?

There is no entry ticket, but come ready to contribute thoughts about each of these questions.