Baritone: Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. If you don't know German, you should check out the lyrics in English. You will then be able to appreciate & enjoy the piece much more! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erlkonig
Sultans Of Zing I went to college for classical music... when this recording got watched in class while studying Erlkonig, one of my classmates wrote "I WANT YOUR SOUL" in a speech bubble on a piece of paper and held it up at just the right angle by the screen. EVERYONE burst out laughing.
You can see the position of his ears change, too, when he changes voices, presumably because that changes the shape of the oral cavity and thus the timbre of the voice.
@@LaurasLastDitch I think his ears probably move because of his facial expressions. He doesn't use that to change how he sings. But changing his expressions allows him to take the voice of the character. It's why voice actors are also facially acting while recording. It's a billion times easier to sound creepy if you become the creepy character. Trying for example to do a convincing scream while having no facial expressions is practically impossible. But his acting is definitely on point. He totally embodies the characters and it adds everything to the performance while allowing him to modify his voice to fit exactly what he wants it to do. He's truly amazing!
I'm German and I can tell you: Nearly every German knows this poem by heart. The music by Schubert is extremely popular as well and frequently performed.
@@lordmoncef5494 You clearly don't know classical music, German literature, German poetry, German/Austrian classical music. You clearly don't, and I pity you
@@manuelp7472 Hi! I randomly stumbled upon Erlkönig a couple of months ago in my pursuit of learning German. I would be delighted if you could recommend me some popular German works of literature(any genre), songs as well if you could. Thanks!
He does each part so strongly. The child literally sound terrified and in pain at some points. The father sounds like some big burly guy, and the Erlking is just downright creepy.And the running horse in the piano accompianment just adds to the whole effect of fear in the piece.Brilliantly executed by an amazing baritone.
The way he inhabits the personalities of all three speakers in the poem without sacrificing technique and quality or using an exaggerated character voice is beyond sublime. RIP.
I memorised this poem in my German class in tenth grade, and I've been wanting to sing it forever. I'm giving my junior recital in three weeks, and it's on the program. I've never been more excited.
what makes this so distinctive is NOT the facial expressions, but the various vocal "tenors" that dfd expresses between Goethe's 4 characters: The narrator, son, father..and obviously...Erlking himself. It is a masterpiece of poetry, music, and artistic interpretation between both singer and accompanist. Best I've seen and heard. I do mean EVER!
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Generally for pieces such as this, the pianist is referred to as a partner, not an accompanist, because the part they play is equally as important as the vocals. I totally agree, though, the pianist did a stellar job.
The piano was played by the inimitable Gerald Moore - possibly the greatest lieder accompanist of all. (He was the regular partner of Fischer-Dieskau, Schwarzkopf, de los Angeles, Elisabeth Schumann, and instrumentally, Pablo Casals… Not a bad line-up!)
+marsvltor2 Jawohl! Gerald Moore as accompanist is pretty uncomparable. I can't say as much for his solos, though :-( But yes, in terms of Schubert-Lieder... there is no comparison!
Wer reitet so spät durch Nacht und Wind? Es ist der Vater mit seinem Kind; Er hat den Knaben wohl in dem Arm, Er faßt ihn sicher, er hält ihn warm. Mein Sohn, was birgst du so bang dein Gesicht? - Siehst, Vater, du den Erlkönig nicht? Den Erlenkönig mit Kron' und Schweif? - Mein Sohn, es ist ein Nebelstreif. - "Du liebes Kind, komm, geh mit mir! Gar schöne Spiele spiel' ich mit dir; Manch' bunte Blumen sind an dem Strand, Meine Mutter hat manch gülden Gewand." - Mein Vater, mein Vater, und hörest du nicht, Was Erlenkönig mir leise verspricht? - Sei ruhig, bleibe ruhig, mein Kind; In dürren Blättern säuselt der Wind. - "Willst, feiner Knabe, du mit mir gehn? Meine Töchter sollen dich warten schön; Meine Töchter führen den nächtlichen Reihn, Und wiegen und tanzen und singen dich ein." - Mein Vater, mein Vater, und siehst du nicht dort Erlkönigs Töchter am düstern Ort? - Mein Sohn, mein Sohn, ich seh' es genau: Es scheinen die alten Weiden so grau. - "Ich liebe dich, mich reizt deine schöne Gestalt; Und bist du nicht willig, so brauch' ich Gewalt." - Mein Vater, mein Vater, jetzt faßt er mich an! Erlkönig hat mir ein Leids getan! - Dem Vater grauset's; er reitet geschwind, Er hält in den Armen das ächzende Kind, Erreicht den Hof mit Mühe und Not; In seinen Armen, das Kind war tot.
50 years ago, I learned this poem in German class in high school, and 30 years ago, I learned this song when taking voice lessons from the lady who later became my wife. What a treat to see and hear a master at work singing one of my all-time favorites!
I love how he says good night at the end of the video.... I'm not going to sleep after watching this!!! Such a scary song, especially if you know the words! I had chills! Hopefully I will get to sing this song soon!
I had chills running down my spine when I first listened to it in music class like 8 years ago with the lyrics and their translation. It's extremely powerful, and the one I heard by then had a voice even more powerful (yes, that's possible it seems).
This great artist is the reason I know about and love leider today. From the first time I heard his voice, I was hooked. I had the great fortune to have seen him on stage four times in Los Angeles, some of the high points of my life. I'm 81 now and listen to him on recordings every day. There will never be another to equal him.
Agreed. There will never be another to compare to the great Fischer-Dieskau. I first heard this as a small child, unfamiliar with the poem. With difficulty, I followed the 'story' and the gathering tension - then, at the sudden ending, when I realized the meaning, I went into shock. I remember sitting with my mouth open, unable to move!
Mac Braun At least the hope for it never dies ... However it lies in the ears of every listener which interpretation he/she thinks is outstanding or even best (if such thing in music exists?)! I agree with Blanche Conner (but I know that Hermann Prey is regarded as even superior - this is a matter of taste)!
Rachele Raanan that’s what people that about baroque music, there will always be somebody better, and I have to say, I would love to see somebody better than diskau, I couldn’t imagine it getting any better, but I know it will lol
I love the change in his expressions, tone, the emotion... He portrays the various character -very- well. I get chills when I hear this particular performance, and I have never heard anyone doing even half as well with this.
I am currently teaching a piano student "The Wild Rider" and am using this song as inspiration for her to depict the piece. Dietrich was the master of German Lieder and his book of translations (almost literal) is a must for any singer or teacher. Thank you for your great talent and the painstaking work you did to bring it to the world Dietrich. R.I.P.
Every single baritone I know has had this piece in their repetoire at some point of their training. Schubert were a baritone and he composed for his own voice.
No wonder it’s so wonderfully written with the register changes in mind. I thought that he must have had to work with a baritone to write this so precisely.
Emily La Erlkönig was original written for Tenor. The original key is G minor (a tone higher than performed here) and very much in the Tenor register. Schubert’s genius is how he writes it so perfectly for the male voice and therefore the piece can be transposed to any key and still make sense in terms of register change for any male voice type.
Joshua Furtado-Mendes the highest note in the original key is a G4, which is well within reach for a good baritone. It is definitely written for a baritone, to have the richness down lower as a tenor would likely struggle to have the warmth lower down for the father’s part
Matthew Hammans I completely see your point and you’re right a G4 within reach of a good baritone. To be honest it doesn’t really matter what voice sings it such is the genius of Schubert’s vocal writing. The song in the original key is perfect for a dramatic tenor or a lyric baritone. Schubert never specified which voice he was writing for on the score. It simply says ‘Hohe Stimme’ which means high voice but I don’t know if that’s an addition of publishers or if he actually wrote that. To find out which voice he intended the song for we would have to look at who was the first to perform it.
@@joshuafurtado-mendes9327 Well, one could deem "high voice" a synonym to tenor (for males, obviously), but why didn't he (if it was him) just write "tenor" if he meant that? I think it could well have meant "any type of fairly high, at least higher-than-average, male voice, which includes all species of tenor, some of barytone and the transitional forms". There are voices with an inky baritonal timbre and a baritonal middle range, definitively no true tenors, but these barytone voices can still be called high. Because they have a virtually tenor range. An A2 - A4 range can, as such, belong to a tenor and a baritone alike. Summarized, the "Hohe Stimme" could have meant "tenors and higher-than-average baritones", I think it's the best explanation.
Man, I've watched this rendition SO many times and can't believe I neglected to give it a Like...until now. For my money, it bests all in regards to facial mannerisms and vocal differentiation between the four roles. Not that there aren't a good many other fine Erlkonig performances on RU-vid. But this one is special.
Thanks for uploading this wonderful rendition of the Erlkonig. As others have pointed out, it is especially poignant upon the death of Fischer-Dieskau. Unfortunately, the pianist was not mentioned; it appears to be the outstanding accompanist Gerald Moore. While there are many great Baritones and pianists, it was the combined artistry of these two which was miraculous and without peer.
DFD is genius. He can do whatever he wants. The ampleur of his expression and textual maitrise is absolutely awsome. He makes a crescendo by darkening his voice, for example. And uses sprechgesang to 'speak' while singing and vice versa. Keeps me being moved emotionally. Danke Sehr Maestro.
I just adore Dieskau's interpretation of this lied. It's amazing how he can express so well each character's emotions, as if he's brought them to life.
I always loved the way DFD interpreted the voices for the characters. its really really well done, haven't found a recording done even half as well. Especially this video, his visual reactions with the voices add a whole new depth to it too.
Wer reitet so spät durch Nacht und Wind? Es ist der Vater mit seinem Kind; Er hat den Knaben wohl in dem Arm, Er faßt ihn sicher, er hält ihn warm. "Mein Sohn, was birgst du so bang dein Gesicht?" - "Siehst, Vater, du den Erlkönig nicht? Den Erlenkönig mit Kron und Schweif?" - "Mein Sohn, es ist ein Nebelstreif." "Du liebes Kind, komm, geh mit mir! Gar schöne Spiele spiel' ich mit dir; Manch' bunte Blumen sind an dem Strand, Meine Mutter hat manch gülden Gewand." - "Mein Vater, mein Vater, und hörest du nicht, Was Erlenkönig mir leise verspricht?" - "Sei ruhig, bleibe ruhig, mein Kind; In dürren Blättern säuselt der Wind." - "Willst, feiner Knabe, du mit mir gehn? Meine Töchter sollen dich warten schön; Meine Töchter führen den nächtlichen Reihn, Und wiegen und tanzen und singen dich ein." - "Mein Vater, mein Vater, und siehst du nicht dort Erlkönigs Töchter am düstern Ort?" - "Mein Sohn, mein Sohn, ich seh' es genau: Es scheinen die alten Weiden so grau. -" "Ich liebe dich, mich reizt deine schöne Gestalt; Und bist du nicht willig, so brauch' ich Gewalt." - "Mein Vater, mein Vater, jetzt faßt er mich an! Erlkönig hat mir ein Leids getan!" - Dem Vater grauset's, er reitet geschwind, Er hält in Armen das ächzende Kind, Erreicht den Hof mit Müh' und Not; In seinen Armen das Kind war tot.
The way he subtly alters the timbre for the different characters! He's really the greatest, and of course Franz's wonderful song written when he was just 18 and proudly published as his opus 1. Bravo Maaestro
Who rides, so late, through night and wind? It is the father with his child. He has the boy well in his arm He holds him safely, he keeps him warm. "My son, why do you hide your face so anxiously?" "Father, do you not see the Elfking? The Elfking with crown and tail?" "My son, it's a wisp of fog." "You dear child, come, go with me! Very lovely games I'll play with you; Some colourful flowers are on the beach, My mother has some golden robes." "My father, my father, and don't you hear What the Elfking quietly promises me?" "Be calm, stay calm, my child; The wind is rustling through withered leaves." "Do you want to come with me, pretty boy? My daughters shall wait on you finely; My daughters will lead the nightly dance, And rock and dance and sing you to sleep." "My father, my father, and don't you see there The Elfking's daughters in the gloomy place?" "My son, my son, I see it clearly: There shimmer the old willows so grey." "I love you, your beautiful form entices me; And if you're not willing, then I will use force." "My father, my father, he's grabbing me now! The Elfking has done me harm!" It horrifies the father; he swiftly rides on, He holds the moaning child in his arms, Reaches the farm with trouble and hardship; In his arms, the child was dead.
When I studied voice, that was one of my Schubert Lieder. After years of singing, this Lied demanded more and more of me and my knowledge. It looks like a simple little song, but, it is not that simple.All along Dietrich-Fischer Diskau was my favorite Singer for that “simple” Lied. Loved that man.
it is indeed a disturbing poem. The poem was by Goethe and other than the music, it had no connection directly to Schubert. But it is very easy, when one knows about Schubert's history, to guess what the poem meant to him, what the world of the Erlkönig was, that it was killing him, and he knew that it was.
Unsurpassed rendition of Schubert's Erlkoenig. Fischer-Dieskau was perfect in every way. Voice, technique, sentiment and elegance. Bravo Maestro, if there is a God he will enjoy that a voice that came from heaven is back .
I love this selection by France Schubert, because when I was in college at Norfolk State College, now University, my good friend Ernest Bess performed this selection at our weekly seminars. His voice teacher at that time was Mrs. Mercer. Oh how awesome he was. I have loved this selection every since then. May Ernest Bess RIP!!!! This was an awesome performance !!
Thank you for sharing your voice with the world for so many years, and especially for this unrivaled performance of Der Erlkönig. You are truly an incredible artist. R.I.P.
Greatest interpreter of Lieder ever. Love his facial expressions and it's amazing how he conveys the 4 characters with his voice as well. RIP, Mr. Fischer-Dieskau, and thank you for the hours of recordings of your art.
Beautiful, simply magnificent. Schubert was a master of his craft, as is the singer here. Not only does he sing the piece to perfection but he appears to take on the role of each character. One can clearly hear and see the switch between the father, son, erlkonig and the narrater. Wonderful!
I love how expressive he delivers the lyrics! To me, his face perfectly captures all three characters of the drama (the Father, Son, and Erlkönig); matched by his amazing voice, this gave me chills.
I had listened to every Schubert song I love the way he chooses the words and how he uses emotion in everyone of his peices! This one in my favorite!!!
We just went through this piece in the Solo Literature Seminar in the Masters program yesterday. It is one of the songs that serves as the peak of a classical Bass-Baritone’s lifetime.
We don't see the accompanist (or "collaborative artist" as is sometimes said nowadays) until the end, but when we do, we see that it is the incomparable Gerald Moore. It is a shame that most of the focus in these comments is completely on Fischer Dieskau. He is marvellous, but his singing would be nothing without Moore's equally marvellous evocation of the dark and sinister atmosphere of the poem in his magnificent playing. Any students interested in his thoughts on playing this song should try and get hold of a copy of his book "Singer and Accompanist" (probably out of print, but probably obtainable) in which he gives some nice "cheats" for sustaining those punishing right-hand octaves!
My mom played this song for me as a kid, and I asked her to tell me what it was about so she did. I’ve always been ridiculously fascinated with this piece, and I adore this particular performance of it. (I’m from the US)
Priceless video! Fischer-Dieskau is truly astonishing. He handles all four characters with superb skill, vocal and dramatic. Note the last two words, almost inaudible and deeply affecting. Very expressive eyes, too. Thanks a lot for posting. I'm never tired of watching and listening to this again and again. Anybody has any idea about the year of recording?
The first time I heard this song was in Music Appreciation in college. I was fascinated by the story and the way Schubert's accompaniment highlighted certain elements, as well as the way the vocalist shifts character by changing the inflection.
It certainly IS the best interpretation of this masterpiece! Have returned to it several times on RU-vid, pleased that it is available - used to hear Fischer-Diskau on classical radio many times on WFMT Chicago decades ago - I was an odd kid, I guess - loved WFMT and also top-40 WLSam with all its rock & roll hits!
Incredible, just incredible. This makes me so proud to be German. It's one of our most well-known compositions (lyrics & music) and whoa... I just don't know what to say, unbelievable. So glad I found this on youtube!
The first time I saw/heard this piece, it was sung by someone else, I cried. The man who sang it the first time I heard it, his facial expressions, voice and diction were outstanding. It was as if you could actually understand exactly what he was saying even though he was singing in German. Outstanding here as well!
The great pairing at its very height. The singer still had his fullest voice and didn't, as he did later, spend more effort on the words than on the music. This is one to come back to again and again. Thanks to the up -loader.
Amazing, both the performance and the song, the latter of which is one of my favourite Schuberts. Very characterful handling of the piano part, and truly beautiful singing and intense expression by Fischer Dieskau, may one of my singing inspirations sing in peace. I also love how he uses his voice, face and eyes to tell the story without resorting to over-exaggerated or stock gestures. As much as I do like Alexander Kipnis' version, Fischer-Dieskau's Erlkonig will always be my top favourite.
English, Poetic Version Who rides there so late through the night dark and drear? The father it is, with his infant so dear; He holdeth the boy tightly clasp'd in his arm, He holdeth him safely, he keepeth him warm. My son, wherefore seek'st thou thy face thus to hide? - Look, father, the Erl-King is close by our side! Dost see not the Erl-King, with crown and with train? - My son, 'tis the mist rising over the plain. - "Oh, come, thou dear infant! oh come thou with me! For many a game I will play there with thee; On my strand, lovely flowers their blossoms unfold, My mother shall grace thee with garments of gold." - My father, my father, and dost thou not hear The words that the Erl-King now breathes in mine ear? - Be calm, dearest child, 'tis thy fancy deceives; 'Tis the sad wind that sighs through the withering leaves. - "Wilt go, then, dear infant, wilt go with me there? My daughters shall tend thee with sisterly care; My daughters by night their glad festival keep, They'll dance thee, and rock thee, and sing thee to sleep." - My father, my father, and dost thou not see, How the Erl-King his daughters has brought here for me? - My darling, my darling, I see it aright, 'Tis the aged grey willows deceiving thy sight. - "I love thee, I'm charm'd by thy beauty, dear boy! And if thou'rt unwilling, then force I'll employ." - My father, my father, he seizes me fast, For sorely the Erl-King has hurt me at last. - The father now gallops, with terror half wild, He grasps in his arms the poor shuddering child; He reaches his courtyard with toil and with dread, - The child in his arms finds he motionless, dead.
Wow! That was a beautiful rendition! Your expressions and emotion that you invested into the piece were captivating! The piano wouldn't let me go for a second either! Great job; I love this piece! =)
Wonderful! Fischer-Dieskau was a Maestro and I always thought that it seems that Schubert componed their lieds thinking in him. What an incredibly perfect combination!
The neapolitan chord at the end as the father reaches the farm(?) implying they're all safe, only to have the rug pulled out with the boy being dead is such a genius artistic decision on schubert's part.
This is a brilliant performance - it is humbling to realize how much you may miss of a great singer's performance if you just listen to a recording. You can see Fischer-Dieskau change characters, before he even utters the lines.
This is an incomparably great performance of one of the greatest songs ever written. I totally agree with the uploader. To fully appreciate how wonderful this is, you must read Goethe's poem which is the lyric and see how Schubert captured the words and drama and how stunningly Fischer-Dieskau and Moore brought it all to life.
I love it from the 1st second of it. His voice is magical. Heard this song in an anime and now I can't stop listening to this song. I love how his expressions change when he changes the voice pitch.
4 different voices...4 different timbres. ...Brilliance. The Narrator, Father, Son, and of course the Erlking. I recently lost a son. This means too much to me to explain. aber.... Dies ist ein Meisterwerk und ich bin jetzt sprachlos. Du holde kunst.....ich danke dir....
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, the 20th century's ultimate authority on Schubert's lied, and the most recorded man ever. i've often thought that this song would be perfect for translation to Heavy Metal both in terms of subject matter and that bass riff! Matter of fact, my senior recital was held up due to my trying to do exactly that, but having a hard time finding Metalheads that could (or would- they're not renowned for reading music and not flexible enough to try when confronted with it) play it. I finally settled for doing Winterreise in its entirety instead (Without the metal band)..
Alan Schulz you should check out Rammstein's loosely adapted version, dalai lama. It instead takes place on a plane, and the father suffocates the child.
![Schubert - Der Erlkönig [魔王] (complete version.)](/img/logo.svg){kind=logo}
