From: From the Heart: Three American Women
Volume: Willa
Category: Vocal Music / Art Song
Instrumentation: voice, guitar
Duration: 2.5 minutes
Difficulty: Intermediate
Text / Source: Poem by Willa Cather
Publisher: Columbia Music

L’envoi is a lyrical song of being alone, setting words by Willa Cather. Because several lines of the poem begin in the same way, Baxter mirrors that repetition musically, giving those lines the same material and creating a sense of poetic and emotional return.

The song includes a short introduction and a short codetta, each ending in the same way. This framing device gives L’envoi a clear and reflective structure, supporting its quiet exploration of solitude and inward feeling.

Suitable for intermediate performers, L’envoi calls for lyrical phrasing, careful attention to repeated text, and a strong sense of formal balance. The introduction and codetta should frame the song with quiet poise.