from the conservatory, and from her feelings. Ethel's first use of the fugal theme seems to have been in 1878 when she wrote Variations on an Original Theme of an Exceedingly Dismal Nature for piano, written during a separation from Lisl. She continued to write pieces incorporating the fugue, including her String Quintet in E, op. 1 and a series of three, four, and five-part fugues for piano. The last mentioned fugues, according to Wood, "literally invent themes of flight and chase" (Solie, 181). One of Smyth's operas, Der Wald, incorporated the idea of the hunt and chase by incorporating literal hunt calls used by the opera's huntress-heroine. Each of her pieces seem to be inspired by and represented a significant event in Ethel's life, usually expressing emotions derived from her relationships. Even after she stopped composing pieces specifically labeled fugues, Ethel continued to incorporate them into her choral and orchestral works. One of the best examples of this can be found in her Mass in D which by many critics has been called a masterpiece and considered her best work. The fugue, located at the end of the Credo, is not only interesting, but the text which it accompanies has some significance in and of itself. The work premiered in 1893, one year after Lisl's death. The text, "Et vitam venturi saeculi: I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come," is introduced by a trumpet, perhaps symbolic of the hunting horn, seems to be Ethel's tribute to Lisl and an expression of her love. The segment is remarkable, a triumphant dedication to the woman whom Ethel dedicated most of her life and heart. Many say that the entire mass and its brilliance may not have been written had Ethel not had suffered over Lisl's death. (Solie, 182). Listen to Mass in D fugue with score The fugue was not the only medium through which Wood saw lesbian expression apparent within their music, again including Ethel Smyth. Wood de...
