JAVS Spring 2019

Example 4. The instrumental rapsodies, L’Étang, mm. 99–100.

Example 5. A thickly-scored passage from “L’ É tang” from the instrumental rapsodies, m. 38.

settings of “L’Étang.” However, Loeffler does maintain a few specific motives that link both versions of the work and help unify the movement. The vocal rapsodies provide insight into the textual/programmatic meaning of musical motives that reappear throughout “La Cornemuse” in the instrumental rapsodies. The text is as follows: La Cornemuse (The Bagpipe) His bagpipe groaned in the woods as the wind that belleth; and never has stag at bay, nor willow, nor oar, wept as that voice wept. Those sounds of flute and hautboy seemed like the death-rattle of a woman. OH! His bagpipe, near the cross-roads of the crucifix! He is dead. But under cold skies, as soon as night weaves her mesh, down deep in my soul, there in the nook of old fears, I always hear, his bagpipe groaning as of yore. – Maurice Rollinat (translated by Philip Hale)

The motive that opens the movement is the most easily recognizable motive in the movement. It is textually tied to “La Cornemuse” which translates into the bagpipe. It appears throughout the movement and builds to a skillfully interwoven climax between all three voices at the bottom of mm. 137–140. Another important motive is seen below in example 7. In the “instrumental rapsodies,” this motive often appears to introduce a new, slower tempo and serves to separate different sections of the movement. Its chromatic figuration represents the howling and moaning of the bagpipes. A third motive in this movement (ex. 8) references the third stanza of the poem and reflects the “sounds of flute and oboe.” These motives and variations of them appear throughout this movement, overlap, and trade-off between voices. All three motives were originally linked to text that describes the sound of the bagpipes. Loeffler uses these motives to unify the work, as well as bring to life the text of Rollinat’s poem.

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Journal of the American Viola Society / Vol. 35, No. 1, Spring 2019