Der Erlkönig
Through the wonders of YouTube, I have discovered some awesome performances of Der Erlkönig. I particularly love the cold determination of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. However the comedic rendition done by Marco Rima certainly offers a new perspective on this old story. He speaks in German the whole time, but if you know the story, you should be able to follow and enjoy. Even Ian Bostridge manages suffer himself through the classic, though the grimace on his face makes me wonder if he enjoyed the singing. And, his shifty eyes & dramatic facial expressions distract me. It is opera, your voice should tell the story, not your face. If your face tells the story, that is called theater.
Der Erlkönig is, hands down, my favorite storyline from any opera. I can’t go so far as to say any fairy tale, but it is on my Top 10 list.
I think that the fairy tales are the best part of German literature. If only the real German versions were taught in our schools. There are so many that I love. I will not even try to make a list, in this post at least.
There have been many adaptations of this quintessential story. Rammstein pays homage with a modern spin on their album Reise, Reise with the song Dalai Lama. In this version, the story takes place on an airplane rather than a horse, and it is titled Dalai Lama because the Dalai Lama is quite afraid of flying.
