Carl Michael Bellmann 1740 - 1795

Subject: Carl Michael Bellmann 1740 - 1795
From: Wolfgang
Date: 03 Aug 99 - 12:16 PM

Bellmann was a Swedish singer and songwriter. Many of his songs have been translated into German and are sung by German folkgroups (go here and click Bellman if you are interested in a German language sample).
Two questions: Is he still popular in his native tongue (Sweden/Norway)?
Is he known at all in the English speaking world, are his songs translated and/or sung?

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Carl Michael Bellmann 1740 - 1795
From: Wolfgang
Date: 03 Aug 99 - 12:22 PM

I should add you'll find midis on that German site as well.

Subject: RE: Carl Michael Bellmann 1740 - 1795
From: Peter T.
Date: 03 Aug 99 - 01:03 PM

Dear Wolfgang, I seem to remember that Jussi Bjoerling used to do a Bellman song or two, but can't remember what. I found at http://www.medieval.org/emfaq/cds/emi35255.htm, this:

To Carl Michael with Love ("being a flowery garland of songs by Carl Michael Bellman and of the English countryside") Martin Best Consort EMI 35255 (LP)
Martin Best (song, guitar) Colin Bilham (contrabass, viola da gamba) Jeremy Barlow (flute, recorder, organ) Julian Byzantine (guitar) Alastair McLachlan (violin, viola, mandoline) Christopher Lebon (cello)

EMI Records Sweden 4E 062-35255 Released 1975

Side One

1.Elegy for Movitz 2.Away We Trot 3.Pastorale 4.Ulla, My Ulla 5.So Screw Up the Fiddle 6.Never An Iris 7.Cradle Song 8.Song at Nightfall 9.Away We Trot (reprise)

Side Two

1.Nightingales Sing (trad. arr. Martin Best) 2.The Starwort (James Oswald, realised Jeremy Barlow) 3.The Seeds of Love (trad. arr. Martin Best) 4.The Heartsease (James Oswald, realised Jeremy Barlow) 5.The Daisy (James Oswald, realised Jeremy Barlow) 6.Who is Silvia? (Shakespeare / Martin Best) 7.Trio: Still'd is the Hasty Wave 8.Up, Amaryllis 9.Haga

Titles 1-9 (side one) and 7-9 (side two): Words and music by Carl Michael Bellman (1740-1795), arrangements by Martin Best.

"To Carl Michael with Love" was recorded in Stockholm and released only in Sweden. Understood to have been issued on CD in Sweden in recent years. The 'songs of the English countryside' which appear on side two, while charming, lead to a slight loss of focus. Perhaps the Consort did not have enough of Bellman's repertoire at their disposal to devote an entire album to him. Nevertheless, these arrangements of Bellman's songs are beautifully realised.

Subject: RE: Carl Michael Bellmann 1740 - 1795
From: Henrik W.
Date: 03 Aug 99 - 04:55 PM

Yes, Bellman is still very popular in Sweden - some of
his songs are still "mandatory" at parties (A note: In
most countries people get something to drink and then
they begin to sing. In Sweden you have to sing before
you can drink...). Bellman was a great poet - In many
ways he was the Swedish equivalent of Robert Burns,
at least if you look at the musical heritage he left
the people of Sweden. And Peter T. beat me to it:
Martin Best has translated and recorded many Bellman
songs - but I am not aware of any others.

Cheers,

Henrik

Subject: RE: Carl Michael Bellmann 1740 - 1795
From: Wolfgang
Date: 04 Aug 99 - 08:01 AM

Thank you both, Peter and Henrik, for the information.

Wolfgang