[Listening extract audio not available in printed QP. Skeleton score in Insert.] You hear a song for voice and piano with rapid repeated octaves and driving...

(a) German term for this type of song [1]

The answer is Lied (plural: Lieder). A Lied is a German art song for solo voice with piano accompaniment, setting a poem to music. The form reached its peak during the Romantic period through composers such as Schubert, Schumann, Brahms and Wolf. The question describes a Lied with dramatic narrative content - specifically, Schubert's Erlkonig (The Erlking), in which a single singer portrays four characters (narrator, father, child and the supernatural Erlking).

(b) How the piano creates urgency [2]

Any two of the following (one mark each):

• Rapid repeated octaves create a relentless, driving pulse that suggests the galloping of a horse [1]. The continuous repetition builds tension because it never lets up, mirroring the desperate speed of the father's ride
• Triplet figures in the left hand add continuous forward momentum and rhythmic energy [1]. The triple subdivision of each beat creates a faster surface rhythm that propels the music forward relentlessly
• The combination of both hands playing fast, busy patterns builds intensity and anxiety [1]. There is no moment of rest or simplicity in the piano part - the constant activity in both hands creates a sense of panic and breathlessness

(c) How register changes distinguish the characters [1]

The composer assigns each character a different vocal register so the listener can identify who is speaking without visual cues. The child sings in a higher register with a frantic, pleading tone to suggest vulnerability and fear. The Erlking sings in a low register with a seductive, smooth quality that sounds threatening. The father sings in a middle register with a reassuring but increasingly anxious tone. The narrator uses a neutral middle register to frame the story. These register contrasts allow a single singer to portray all four characters convincingly.