What Music Do You Associate With Keats?

[Malia]

Incidentally, I recently bought an album called "Emma Kirkby sings Handel, Arne, Haydn & Mozart," which struck me as a short list of the few composers that ever got a mention by Keats (although not Haydn, perhaps)

Actually, he *did* mention Haydn--well, at least Severn records him making a mention of Haydn.

When they were in Rome, Severn played piano versions of Haydn's symphonies for Keats. Keats said happily (and I paraphrase): "This Haydn is like a child for you never know what he will do next."

As far as recommending a Chanticleer album--I only own 'Sing We Christmas'. Although it's technically Christmas music, I listen to it throughout the year as they sing a lot of foreign music and the only well-known carol they sing is "Silent Night". Their quality is so good, I would think anything you purchase would be a winner. Personally, I'd choose something of theirs that contains mostly classical pieces--or spirituals. They are excellent with both.

[Malia]

:shock: Just got back from class...stayed up til 4:30 and finished my paper--I'll post it, so be merciful

I'm looking forward to reading it

Yeah, I think he would've dug New Jersey rock, Malia...

I always thought he'd be a Bon Jovi fan, myself

[Saturn]

I always thought he'd be a Bon Jovi fan, myself

DEAR GOD NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[Malia]

I always thought he'd be a Bon Jovi fan, myself

DEAR GOD NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Oh, come on now Saturn! Don't you think Keats would completely identify with the following inspired verse?

"Shot through the heart / and you're to blame/ you give love a bad name"

I mean, it screams "Fanny Brawne"!

[Saturn]

Give the man some credit and some taste even if he is dead

Keats would not appreciate the poodle-haired 80s power-ballad-mongers.

What next?

Shelley would be a Poison fan?

[dks]

Give the man some credit and some taste even if he is dead

Keats would not appreciate the poodle-haired 80s power-ballad-mongers.

What next?

Shelley would be a Poison fan?

Poison. Omigod...Now that's bad hair bandage...

[Malia]

What next?

Shelley would be a Poison fan?

ROCK ON!

Though, frankly, I think Shelley would be more "in" with the psychedelic music of the sixties. I could see him getting high with Byron and singing along to "Magic Carpet Ride".

[dks]

What next?

Shelley would be a Poison fan?

ROCK ON!

Though, frankly, I think Shelley would be more "in" with the psychedelic music of the sixties. I could see him getting high with Byron and singing along to "Magic Carpet Ride".

Can't you, though? I can totally see Shelley and Byron as hippies--though Percy would be more the flower child of the two.

I can see Keats being hip on the 60's scene- but in a more sensitive, other worldly vein--maybe a beat poet in some Haight Ashbury coffee house...dropping a hint of acid just for the experience--

[Credo Buffa]

Actually, he *did* mention Haydn--well, at least Severn records him making a mention of Haydn.

Well, even if there isn't much mention of Haydn in association with Keats (especially with Severn being such an accomplished musician), it's highly probable that Keats was very familiar with his music, as was probably the majority of the population in London (at least by name) during his time. Haydn was their darling, hugely popular during his several visits to London in the 1790s. I personally associate his "London" Symphony (No. 104) with Keats, largely because I remembered the date for my music history class because it was written the same year Keats was born

[Malia]

I can totally see Shelley and Byron as hippies--though Percy would be more the flower child of the two.

Absolutely! Hmm. . .maybe Byron would become part of some radical movement.

I can see Keats being hip on the 60's scene- but in a more sensitive, other worldly vein--maybe a beat poet in some Haight Ashbury coffee house...dropping a hit of acid just for the experience--

Yes, I could definitely see that. Keats in shades. . .with a beret! On second thought, maybe not the beret.

[Saturn]

I can see Byron and Shelley in Italy smoking weed and listening to Hendrix and the Beatles, but Byron being more into The Stones.

Shelley definitely would dig early Pink Floyd stuff

Keats I think would have been more of a folkie I think listening to Nick Drake and writing poems for him to sing - what a combination that would have been - Drakes exemplary playing and gentle mournful tones and Keats' words

Now this thread is getting out of hand....

[jwash]

i'm trying hard not to say something like "I think keats would like..." i'm not sure if its condescending or just silly, but it is tempting to say that he'd like the same things I like and for the same reasons.

I will say that I'd like to think of myself as pensive young person in a way similar to Keats, and I love the blues, from the old greats to the blues rock artists like allman brothers and the like. I think modern "bluesy" music has taken the form of indie and emo bands like modest mouse and radiohead and death cab for cutie and nick drake (i think he was mentioned before). Of course the older classic rock (by the way, has "classic rock" come to refer to ACDC, while The Band and Bob Dylan and The Doors are now considered "oldies?") generation loved the romantics and transcendentalists.

Modest Mouse and Death Cab for Cutie are my two favorite modern rock bands, and I think they share with Keats the paradoxical torment and appreciation of melancholy.

As far as art is concerned, I appreciate the same things in the impressionists as i do in Keats. I made a bitmap a few years ago with Van Gogh's self portrait and on either side of the image i created a margin. One margin had the last lines of "Ode on Melancholy" beginning with "Ay, in the very temple of Delight..."
and on the other margin I included an exerpt from John Fletcher:

"There's naught in the this life sweet,
If man were wise to see 't
But only Melancholy,
O sweetest Melancholy!"

Billie Holiday is another biggie, those first few notes of "I'll Look Around" go great with keats for me. my favorite lines are from "It Had to Be You" (i think billie holiday was the first to do this song, but its hard to say when its become such a standard)

"...And even be glad,
just to be sad
thinking of you"

I love Van Morrison for the same reasons as well.

This is a bit off topic, but speaking of romantic lit, has anyone seen the newest film version of Pride and Prejudice with Keira Knightly? better than the book, and Dario Marianelli's score is amazing in its own right.

I'm not sure anyone could say with a straight face what Keats would have liked, but it's interesting to see what we (who like his poetry) like in music.

[dks]

i'm trying hard not to say something like "I think keats would like..." i'm not sure if its condescending or just silly, but it is tempting to say that he'd like the same things I like and for the same reasons.
I'm not sure anyone could say with a straight face what Keats would have liked, but it's interesting to see what we (who like his poetry) like in music.

It's ok...he wants us to say that--I'll bet he has a rollicking good time knowing what he talk about on here!

Hello and welcome, jwash.

[jamiano]

I associate these works with the beauty of Keats. Glucks' "Dance of the Blessed Spirits," the Schuman compositions, "Album for the Young" and "Scenes of Childhood" and all the early piano sonatas of Mozart and Beethoven. Keats' lyricism is dreamy within his sonnets. Although poets, Keats, Dante, Shakespeare, Shelley, Wordsworth, and Milton, they all composed poetry with a musical tone. A great movie could be made about the influence of Milton on Keats. During Keats' writing of his sonnet dedicated to Milton, Milton could appear as a spirit mentor. I believe that the moment in which Keats viewed a lock of Milton's hair, inspired Keats with a grand confidence to write great poetry. Also, I believe one aspect of Keats' triumph as a poet exists within the musical tone of his beautiful prose.


peace,
jamiano

[dks]

Yes, Keats had a knowledge of that "unheard music"--see a journal article by Peter J. Sorensen in The Keats-Shelley Review 1993-1994--it talks about the Neoplatonic idea of earthly music and that "heavenly music of the spheres"--those "far sweeter unheard melodies"--Yes, I think Keats's poetry has a weighty association with "music" and melody.