When nature became a source of inspiration in literature in the nineteenth century, composers began to write musical works using the mountains as a theme. This was accomplished either with a programmatic title or with the use of a folk tune. Different versions of the Ranz des Vaches, a type of improvisatory tune played on the alphorn to call the cattle home at the end of the day, were quoted by many composers and served as a model for others desiring to evoke an alpine scene. In addition to the many pieces cited within the text and listed below, a list of works by lesser-known composers using the mountains as inspiration or setting is given at the conclusion of the article.

Works: Beethoven: Symphony No. 6, fifth movement (403), Six Variations facile pour le clavecin ou Harpe (Sur un air Suisse) (403); Berlioz: "Scene aux champs" from Symphonie fantastique (402); Grétry: Overture to Guillaume Tell (400); d'Indy: Symphonie Cévenole (413-14); Liszt: "Vallée d'Obermann" (409), "Improvisata sur le ranz des Vaches de Ferdinand Huber" (409), "Nocturne sur le chant montagnard d'Ernest Knop" (409), and "Rondeau sur le Ranz des Chèvres de Ferdinand Huber" (409) from Album d'un voyageur, and Grande Fantaisie sur la Tyrolienne de l'opera "La Fiancée" (transcription of Auber) (409); Mendelssohn: Two early unpublished symphonies (408); Meyerbeer: Song on the Appenzell Ranz des Vaches (400); Rossini: Overture to William Tell (400); Schumann: Manfred (406); Richard Strauss: Don Quixote (415); Wagner: Act III of Tristan und Isolde (411); Webbe: Song on the Appenzell Ranz des Vaches (400); Weigl: Song on the Appenzell Ranz des Vaches (400).

Index Classifications: 1900s

Contributed by: Nancy Kinsey Totten