The forgotten guitar craze that defined Romantic England
In short: While the piano is often seen as the definitive instrument of the Victorian era, a massive guitar craze once swept England between 1800 and 1835. This lecture explores a lost musical history that touched every level of society.
Professor Christopher Page examines an intense period of guitar popularity spanning the lives of literary giants like Keats, Byron, and Shelley. Unlike the modern guitar's dominance, this era's craze is largely omitted from standard histories of 19th-century music. The instrument was uniquely pervasive, played by everyone from Princess Charlotte to the poorest laundresses.
The guitar's rise serves as a lens into broader cultural shifts following the Napoleonic Wars. It reflects the growth of Romanticism, the rise of an urban poor seeking self-improvement, and the explosion of mass media, including newspapers and serialized fiction. It is a study of social history as much as musical evolution.
Opens the Intellect+ feed with this card first. Swipe up for the next one.
Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Guitars in Romantic England: Music Lectures 2014-15 - An Introduction by Professor Christopher Page
To cite this card, link to https://intellectplus.co.uk/app/ideas-guitars-in-romantic-england-music-lectures-2014-15-an-introd.
How we source, check and correct cards: Editorial standards.
General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.
Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?
