(Explanation: This is an extended essay I starting writing for fans of the musical Tanz der Vampire. Parts 4 and 5 were written as a continuation for a school project. Though I attempted to make this accessible to those who haven't seen the musical, it is a whole lot more interesting, and easier to understand, if you watch it.)
The Austrian musical Tanz der Vampire is most well-known for two things: Having an epic rock-opera score, and having an incredible amount of alternate character interpretation options for the heroes and villains. Both of these elements have been examined individually, but there is an undeniable relationship between the characters in this show and the music they sing. While not every character has enough music-time to warrant an analysis, the major players will be put under a microscope to find out what their big numbers reveal about them as characters.
The first thing I noticed upon examining this show was that it's all about masks and deception. We're quite two-faced - the person we present to others in not the person we show to ourselves. (Or, in some cases in this show, not the vampire we show to ourselves.) Tanz not only takes that manipulative ideal and runs with it, it puts it into song form. But before I go deeper into this theme, I want to talk about one of the characters that proves an exception to it: The main hero himself.
The first thing I noticed upon examining this show was that it's all about masks and deception. We're quite two-faced - the person we present to others in not the person we show to ourselves. (Or, in some cases in this show, not the vampire we show to ourselves.) Tanz not only takes that manipulative ideal and runs with it, it puts it into song form. But before I go deeper into this theme, I want to talk about one of the characters that proves an exception to it: The main hero himself.
Alfred, fearless vampire killer extraordinaire (not really) is the character that is the most straightforward, but shows the most over the course of the story. He doesn't reveal secret "sides" to himself or veil is true nature; instead he's honest to everyone, including himself.
His music matches his mind - every single thing he sings is simple, open, and sweet. In "Nie Geseh'n", he's dreamy, hopeful happy. Unworried that this desire of love might not be what he really wants, he's simply childlike in his optimism. In "Draußen Ist Freiheit" (for the purposes of this essay, I'm considering that separate from the rest of "Stärker Als Wir Sind"), he hides nothing from Sarah, telling her directly what he thinks, hopes and wants. In stark contrast to all of the main characters except a group (which I'll get to later), he doesn't try to ensure his success by lying or changing himself for Sarah. Even though he knows that he could falsely present himself to her, as a more successful, daring, or wealthy person, and thus get what he wants much easier, he just gives himself as is, and hopes that Sarah will accept him.
He never really does get rid of that directness throughout the show. Even at the darkest, most inappropriate moments, he will remain in that honest spirit. For example, in the middle of von Krolock's "Wohl der Mann", he actually cuts off the song to bring in a reprise of "Du Bist Wirklich Sehr Nett". Unable to falsely present in the same way that the vampire does, his only option is to sing the "nice" song again.
"In Der Gruft" presents him as naïvely trying to be brave, even in the face of danger. He wants to be strong. (He's just, you know, not very good at it.) A similar message is conveyed in "He, He Professor", in which Alfred's desperately trying not to succumb to the fear and panic of losing his mentor, the man that likely allowed him not to have to be strong.
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