Romantic Period - Early 19th Century

Along with Franz Schubert's Erlkönig the composition of the same text by his friend, Anselm Hüttenbrenner (1794 - Graz - 1868; Picture) shouldn't be forgotten. (It should be noted that Goethe's ballad was one of the most popular texts to be set to music - ca 130 identified compositions.) In contrast to Schubert's version, which achieves perfect unity of text and musical structure, Hüttenbrenner's is much less dramatic. Although he also composes the text as a whole (not strophically), he loses tension with long interludes and numerous repetitions. In his defense however, it must be said that the Erlkönig among his earlier compositions out of the 250 some songs he eventually wrote. Hüttenbrenner wrote this version in 1829. (E. Stadler)