Recurring Rhythmic Motives and Character Creation in Margi Griebling-Haigh’s Bocadillos Panoramicos

Margi Griebling-Haigh’s Bocadillos Panoramicos (2000) for viola and piano, written for her sister, is a four-movement work inspired by the sisters’ travels to New Mexico. The third movement, La Perrita Fanimál (“The Little Dog Fanny”), portrays the lively personality of Karen’s border collie through rapid meter shifts and recurring rhythmic motives. This lecture explores how Griebling-Haigh’s patterned alternation of meters—4/4, 5/8, 3/4, 5/8, and 2/4—paired with distinct rhythmic articulations, creates musical “characters” that guide both performer interpretation and audience perception.

Through detailed examination of mm. 1–35, where nine meter changes occur, I analyze four principal motives and their recurrence across the movement. IOI (interonset interval) analysis and graphical data illustrate contrasts between regular and irregular rhythmic structures, highlighting how irregularity (notably in the 5/8 motive) marks shifts in character. Motives 1–3 display consistent length and meter associations, fostering predictability; the 2/4 motive, by contrast, is metrically less consistent and often signals a change in dramatic focus.

The movement’s climax arrives with an extended 3/4 waltz (motive 5), representing the dog “waltzing off to sleep.” This departure from the established metric pattern underscores the narrative arc, emphasizing the composer’s nuanced balance between predictability and surprise.

Beyond meter and rhythm, Griebling-Haigh’s use of articulation—staccatos, accents, ties—reinforces the canine imagery, from playful leaps to disciplined trots. By establishing and subtly varying these rhythmic-metric identities, she offers the violist a framework for shaping interpretation through physical gesture, bowing choices, and phrasing.

This presentation will combine score excerpts, rhythmic analyses, and audio examples to demonstrate how metric patterning in La Perrita Fanimál serves as a vehicle for character creation. The session will also situate Griebling-Haigh’s work within broader rhythmic theory, drawing connections to Godfried Toussaint’s concepts of regularity and irregularity, and will invite discussion on interpretive strategies for performers engaging with complex metric landscapes.