New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-27
Centenary of
"The Erlkins"
The First Setting of Poem
by One Of Goethe's
Sweethearts.

A writer in the August number Of
"The Musical Times" of London takes
advantage of the fact that Schubert's
setting Of Goethe's poem, "The Erl-
king" was composed at the end of 1915
or in the first days OF 1916 TO print
an article on the music which the poem
has called forth. The most interest
ing of the writer's contribution to the
history Of the song is the fact that il
received it's first setting from Corona
Schroter Goethe made her scouaint-
ance," says the writer, ain 1866, and,
owing, no doubt, to his influence, she
became, ten years later, chamber sing
er to the Dowager Duchess of Weimar.
For a performance of Goethe's Die
Fischerin' in 1882 she wrote music for
the poems introduced and sang them;
among them was the 'Erlkonig'"
There are several reasons why Corona
Schroter deserves more attention than
the English writer bestowed upon her.
She was one Of the women whom
Goethe loved. A portrait Of herself
which she painted (she was talented in
several directions besides music) hangs
Weimar. She gave it to Goethe as a
souvenir of an occasion when she had
been made happy by the privilege of
appearing with him in one of his plays.
Goethe had met her at Leipsic and he
brought her to Weimar in 1888. She
was then thirty years old, a singer, act
a painter. Goethe's great admiration
for her found expression in a poem,
"on the Death of Miedling"-an actor.
Years ago among the musical letters
sent to The Tribune during a musical
pilgrimage undertaken by the present
writer was one from Weimar devoted to
the influence Of Goethe and List rs
exercised at the Grand Ducal Theatre.
An attempt was made to put Gcethe's
tribute to the charming artist into Eng
lish, with the following result:
More nom ny friend,i Fan back Iiil. spaced
See approach with bearing full o. rseel
us she herself. on whom We ser depend.
our prayers are beard. their s.t the MUSES. .'ndi
A wondrou, nou'r She bursts npsn our sisht'
To be a model she 20 earth was sent
Wherein ne real ana dss s sspSd os esa,
And nature bFeathed IN her the breath Of arl
To lend her charms the world itself is spent.
And cen thy name. Corons. Is an ornament!
1t was Johann Samuel Schrotcr, q
brother OF Corona, who was Johann
Christian Bach's successor as music
master to the Queen Of England. He
married one OF his aristocratic pupils,
who soon tired OF him and purchased
a separation. She became q pupil Of
Haydn when he went to London, in
! 1871, and formed an attachment for that
susceptible old gentleman, which found
amusing expression in the love letters
which | published in Music and Man
negs," in 1898.
Corona Schroter's setting Of "Ths
Erlking" was published, together with
twenty-four other songs, in 1856. IL is
strophic in form and decidedly incon-
sequential. Johann Friedrich Reich
ardt's music for the poem was con-
sidered superior TO that of Schubert
and Loews by Mendelssohn. as is at
tested by a letter written in 1881.
Zieter began a setting Of the poem in
1877, but laid II aside when he saw
Reichardt's. Anselm Huttenbrenner,
the intimate friend Of Schubert, who
had his arm under Beethoven's head
when he died. is also among the very
many composers who have set The
Erlking" to music.