Carl Michael Bellman
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Carl Michael Bellman Template:Audio (February 4, 1740 - February 11, 1795) was a Swedish poet and composer. Bellman is a central figure in the Swedish song tradition and remains a very important influence in Swedish music to this day.
His main two works are the Songs of Fredman ("Fredmans sånger") and the Epistles of Fredman ("Fredmans epistlar"), each including some 70 songs, many of which are about sociable drinking and or designed for the occasion of the same. The main themes of Bellman's poetry are fear of death, the joy of inebriation and the pursuit of sexual pleasure. His songs reflects aspects of the life for the common man in 18th century Stockholm, but by his composition Gustafs skål, an informal royal anthem, he had also acquired the patronage of King Gustav III of Sweden.
The songs of Bellman are being kept alive today by modern Swedish artists such as Cornelis Vreeswijk and the rock musician Joakim Thåström.
Bellman has been translated into English by Paul Britten Austin.
External links
- Bellman.net (http://www.bellman.net/)da:Carl Michael Bellman