Corona Schröter (1751–1802), "Erlkönig"

This is the earliest known setting of Goethe's famous ballad. The Erlking (or "Elf-King") is a common figure of German folklore, a malevolent being that lures travelers to their deaths. Goethe's ballad tells the tale of a father and son who are travelling; the son begins to see things that the father does not and is eventually attacked. His father races toward their destination but realizes too late that his son is already dead.