In the canteen of a federal shooting society, a speaker stands on a platform. The assembly applauds him right after he utters, with a booming voice, the word “Confederation”. The speaker raises his glass and drinks to the success of his “recipe” for a political speech.

Shadow theatre

Not specified

Switzerland

Geneva

Printed

Rhetoric

Politics

Comical

Parodistic

Émile Jaques-Dalcroze, Chansons romandes (front cover), circa 1910.

French

Orateur

Public

Song

Comic speech

Recette

Recipe

In the Valais canton, the sun rises over a pathway and a small wooden house. The mountains appear in the background. It is spring; the goatherd’s horn can be heard in the valley and the goats come running. The village of Savièze comes to life: the girls riding on mules’ backs go to work in the vineyard, two women are chatting, the pigs try to run away from the farmers,… A family of English tourists goes on a walk guided by Lord Quick, who is leading his daughters as a shepherd guides his flock… A storm breaks out in the valley, forcing the tourists, the shepherds and the animals to seek shelter. After the storm, the hikers finish climbing the high mountain and a chamois hunt resumes. Bells and prayers can be heard as a procession slowly walks towards the old chapel of Savièze: the women, the penitents, the priests, the altar children and the elderly are all part of it. The village finally celebrates Christmas before falling asleep under the snow.

All audiences

Printed outline

Mountain

Seasons

Storm

Bucolic

Christmas

Alps

Tourism

Nature

Realist

Lyrical

Outline of Henri van Muyden's Goatherd for En Valais, copied in Le Sapajou.