Franz Schubert: Der Erlkönig Op.1 D 328 (1815)

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Write an analytical essay with analytical illustrations that support your argument on this piece: Franz Schubert: Der Erlkönig Op.1 D 328 (1815).

Identify a particular harmonic schema of your interest, such as repeating progressions, motivic cadences, motivic bass-melody relationships, etc. After you do this, you should consider these questions: What are the tonal-functional implications of the harmonic schema? How does the harmonic schema vary? How does the harmonic schema relate to the form of the song? How does the harmonic schema relate to the narrative of the song?

Beyond these core questions, the key areas of analytical focus are for you to determine. Additional issues that you might consider are:

  • The relationship between song/poetic form and issues of large-scale tonal design Large-scale tonal design Motivic aspects: repetition, variation/development, association Text-setting
  • The relationship between song/poetic form and issues of motivic recurrence and/or variation
  • The relationship between your analytical findings and the song’s extra-musical themes

 

Readings:

Agawu, V. Kofi. Music as Discourse: Semiotic Indicative Reference List Adventures in Romantic Music. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 2009.

Cohn, Richard. “Introduction to Neo-Riemannian Theory: A Survey and a Historical Perspective.” Journal of Music Theory 42, no. 2, Neo-Riemannian Theory (Autumn, 1998): 167-180.