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.

Shadow theatre

All audiences

Switzerland

Geneva

Printed outline

Mountain

Seasons

Storm

Bucolic

Christmas

Alps

Tourism

Nature

Realist

Lyrical

Comical

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

French

Goat

Shepherd

Tourist

English man

Painter

Bull

Porcher

Hunter

Chamois

Daughter

Penitent

Choirboy

Old man

Priest

Boniment

Procession

Apotheosis

Song

Comical foreign accent

En Valais

George Sand arrives in Geneva, where Liszt and his lover Marie de Flavigny, countess d’Agoult, live. Their house is empty when she arrives, and a letter by Liszt lets her know that they have gone to Chamonix. One of the couple’s friends, adjuvant Pictet, lets her in, but he believes her to be a man because of her travel clothes. Liszt and Marie come back. George Sand dresses as a woman and they all laugh at the adjuvant’s mistake. The play ends with a song in which they make fun of Genevan narrow-mindedness.

String marionette

Choisy Laure

Typed or electronic text with handwritten annotations

Gender

Romanticism

Historical event

Sexual identity

Journey

Provincial life

Self-righteousness

Satirical

Laure Choisy, Une visite romantique.

Writer

Composer

Major

Countess

Misunderstanding

Cross-dressing

Final song

Letter

Une visite romantique

A romantic visit