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The Music of Robert Louis Stevenson

Little Air

By J.F.M. Russell ©2019

Robert Louis Stevenson began studying the piano and composition at age 36 and learned the penny whistle two years later. He played the flageolet, a version of the whistle equipped with keys, almost until the end of his life. His arrangements and compositions include more than 120 pieces. This site describes his complete works through facsimiles, transcriptions, recordings, quotations and commentary.

"An interesting chapter in his life will be written when all his scattered pieces are brought together, and the musical side of his character unexpectedly revealed to the vast public that knows him now only as the winsome versifier and the accomplished romancer."

Robert Murrell Stevenson (1916-2012) in Robert Louis Stevenson's Musical Interests, 1957.

Facsimile:

Transcription:

Recording:

Manuscript Location:

Huntington Library

HM 2397

Source:

None.

Significant References in Works of R.L.S.:

Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson, v.3, 1917 via Google books:

Myself and the other fellow: a life of Robert Louis Stevenson, Claire Harman, 2005 via Google books:

Comments:

At the lower right of the title, Stevenson attributes this to Franz Hünten, 1793-1878. The key signature in the fourth part is A and is meant to be played on Bb clarinet.

The two facsimiles of this piece appear on the same leaf of manuscript. The first is at the top of the leaf and the second is at the bottom, separated by the score of The Greek Water Carriers. Clearly Stevenson conceived of Little Air first as a trio. Later he decided to make it into a quartet, and the last two lines of the second facsimile are the additional part. He may also have felt that there was too much repetition in the first part and so wrote the variations which appear on the first staff of the second facsimile. These have been included in the recording.

This and Heidenröslein are his only two surviving quartets.