The Alps in Swiss Song

This research project explores the development of the song repertoire that was to establish itself in the 19th century as "Swiss Folk Songs". On the basis of these songs, the work shows how social circumstances manifest themselves in song. The focus is on the images of the Alps in the song. Roman Walker examines textual, musical, historical and illustrative aspects in the song analyses from all the national languages.

What significance do enthusiasm for the Alps and images of the Alps have for the establishment of a "Swiss folk song genre"? What are the images of the Alps used for, interpreted or reinterpret-ed? How did Swiss folk song accompany the development of the modern federal state in the 19th and 20th centuries? The aim is to establish continuities and breaks in the Swiss self-image through the folk song her-itage and to finally fathom the extent to which today's song practice still draws from the origi-nal folk song tradition.

As part of this research project, Roman Walker's book "HANNS IN DER GAND - Soldatensänger, Liederfürst" was published in fall 2023.