Erlkönig: Famous Ballad by Johann Wolfgang Von Gjothe (Essay Sample)

"Erlkönig",   HYPERLINK "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Schubert" \o "Franz Schubert" Franz Schubert
History
"Erlkönig", is a famous ballad by Johann Wolfgang von Gjothe that was written in 1782. The masterpiece describes the death of a child at the hands of a supernatural being, a spirit - the "Forest King". The author describes a father and son riding a horse through the forest in lousy weather in the evening. It seems to the son that the king of the forest is charming him; his father claims that it is just an imagination. At the end, the son screams that the forest king has overtaken him. When they finally arrived home, their father found that a boy was dead. Schubert's adaptation of "Erlkönig" is a romantic musical realization that represents the variety of Goethe's ballad by contrasting unique musical elements.
Personal opinion
At the very beginning of the ballad, there is an anxious feeling. The author describes the nature that it seems that the forest keeps something terrible and unexpected. The atmosphere heats up when a father with his son appears in the forest. The child is scared and it literally feels this childish fear. When the Forest King appears, at first a double impression is created. It seems that he is a fabulous and interesting character with magical abilities. Nevertheless, the character gives the impression that he is on the side of evil. This impression is confirmed when the Forest King tells the man that he likes a baby, and he wants to take him. Reading a ballad, you hope that a man with his child will be saved. The end was terrifying. The man got out of the forest, but the baby is in his arms was dead. Why did the evil win? From this work on the soul left an unpleasant aftertaste and a feeling of disappointment.
Conclusion
There are many images in the work that are opposed. The main feeling is horror. The child feels horror because not joy and fun await him at the forest king, but the absence of love. Despite the fact that the ballad is quite gloomy, it combines everyday life and fantasy, splendor and danger.
References
1 Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Erlkönig / Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. – : , 1782.
2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3nxyS8wf8E&feature=youtu.be
Berlioz, Symphonie fantastique
History
Fantastic Symphony is a symphony by Hector Berlioz. Written in 1830, it became one of the first major works in the genre of program music and one of the most popular composers. The content of the symphony is connected with the will of Berlioz - the English actress Harriet Smithson. A fantastic symphony is the story of a young but too impressionable musician. Love experiences overwhelm him so much so he decides to die by taking a lethal dose of opium. However, death decided to postpone, leaving the young man in an unconscious state. Surrounded by incredible visions and hallucinations, the hero begins to feel absolu