Imagine a stormy night, a frantic ride, and whispers in the wind. In Franz Schubert’s dramatic art-song Der Erlkönig, a father gallops through the dark forest, clutching his little boy while the wind howls around them. The terrified child keeps spotting the Erlkönig – a mischievous, other-worldly “Elf King” wearing a crown and trailing a cloak. The spirit sweet-talks the boy with promises of games, flowers, and dancing daughters, yet only the child can hear these silky invitations. Every time the boy cries out, the father tries to calm him, blaming fog, rustling leaves, and the moonlit trees for what his son thinks he sees.
As the ride grows more desperate, the Erlkönig’s tone darkens: “I love you… come with me, or I will use force!” The child feels the phantom’s icy grip, and his panic finally rattles the father, who spurs the horse even faster toward safety. They reach the courtyard at last, but the nightmare wins; the father looks down to find his son lifeless in his arms. Der Erlkönig is a spine-chilling tale about the thin line between reality and imagination, parental protection and helplessness, and the eerie power of folklore lurking in the shadows of night.