Erlkönig [Schubert] (Perc Ens 9 + Baritone Voice or Euphonium)

Schubert’s famous Erlkönig (The Erlking) arranged for percussion ensemble and baritone voice (or euphonium) soloist. The colors of the percussion instruments enhance the persistent tension in Schubert’s setting of Goethe’s poem.

Genre: Percussion Ensemble + Baritone Voice or Euphonium | # of Players: 9 + 1
Series: N/A
Level: Intermediate | Duration: 4:05

Instrumentation
Baritone Voice (or Euphonium)

Glockenspiel & Chimes
Xylophone
Vibraphone
Marimba 1 [4-octave*]
Marimba 2 [4-octave]
Marimba 3 [4-octave]
Marimba 4 [5-octave*]
*Marimba 1 & 4 may share one 5-octave instrument.

Percussion 1: Triangle, Castanets, Mark Tree, Bass Drum
Percussion 2: Sleigh Bells, Small & Large Crash Cymbals, Suspended Cymbal, Tam-Tam

Program Notes
The Erlking (Erlkönig) is a German Art Song composed by Franz Schubert. Its text is taken from a poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and it illustrates how Romantic composers were fascinated with the supernatural. The vocal soloist in the piece must represent four different characters from the poem: the narrator, the child, the father, and the Erlking. The notoriously difficult piano accompaniment with its rapid, continuous triplet pattern translates well to mallet keyboard instruments, and the ensemble as whole helps drive the piece from its tense opening to its frenzied, and ultimately tragic, conclusion.

This version of Erlkönig has been transposed to F Minor (down from the original G Minor) to better suit a soloist with a lower range. It is recommended that the vocalist be amplified to avoid getting overpowered by the volume of the percussion instruments. THis may not be necessary if you use euphonium instead.