About the Book
Blake Set to Music: A Bibliography of Musical Settings of the Poems and Prose of William Blake by Donald Fitch offers an extensive and meticulously compiled reference work detailing the musical interpretations of William Blake’s poetry. What began as a casual search in 1976 to fulfill a request for Blake settings for male chorus soon turned into a comprehensive project, revealing a surprising gap in musical bibliography. While Shakespeare and other poets had well-documented musical settings, Blake's work had no such resource until now.
Fitch's research uncovers a fascinating trend: the use of Blake’s poetry in musical compositions is largely a 20th-century phenomenon, though it has roots in the late 19th century. From Blake himself reportedly singing his poems to original tunes, to early settings by musicians like Mary Carmichael in 1876, Fitch traces how Blake’s works captured the imagination of composers. The bibliography spans amateur and professional musicians, encompassing settings for solo voice, choirs, chamber ensembles, and orchestras.
The book highlights over 250 musical settings of Blake's "The Lamb," making it the most popular choice among composers, while other well-loved poems like "The Tyger" and "Spring" also appear frequently. Interestingly, it also explores Blake’s influence beyond the English-speaking world, particularly in post-World War II compositions by Scandinavian, Russian, and European composers.
Fitch’s bibliography not only provides a rich resource for scholars, musicians, and Blake enthusiasts but also charts a cultural shift. As musical tastes evolved, so too did the appreciation for Blake’s poetic depth, with his works being embraced by an ever-widening range of composers across the globe.
This bibliography stands as an essential guide to the diverse and evolving relationship between Blake’s visionary poetry and the world of music.
This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press's mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1990.
Fitch's research uncovers a fascinating trend: the use of Blake’s poetry in musical compositions is largely a 20th-century phenomenon, though it has roots in the late 19th century. From Blake himself reportedly singing his poems to original tunes, to early settings by musicians like Mary Carmichael in 1876, Fitch traces how Blake’s works captured the imagination of composers. The bibliography spans amateur and professional musicians, encompassing settings for solo voice, choirs, chamber ensembles, and orchestras.
The book highlights over 250 musical settings of Blake's "The Lamb," making it the most popular choice among composers, while other well-loved poems like "The Tyger" and "Spring" also appear frequently. Interestingly, it also explores Blake’s influence beyond the English-speaking world, particularly in post-World War II compositions by Scandinavian, Russian, and European composers.
Fitch’s bibliography not only provides a rich resource for scholars, musicians, and Blake enthusiasts but also charts a cultural shift. As musical tastes evolved, so too did the appreciation for Blake’s poetic depth, with his works being embraced by an ever-widening range of composers across the globe.
This bibliography stands as an essential guide to the diverse and evolving relationship between Blake’s visionary poetry and the world of music.
This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press's mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1990.