The History of Sound Poetry

December 5, 2024 3:58 PM

Poets Without Words is a series of short lectures on sound poetry by Galician poet Xelís de Toro, where he goes through its history and performs a few notable poems. They can be listened to in podcast form but the series benefits from being watched in order: Intro; Zaum – Russian Cubo-Futurism; Hugo Ball – Cabaret Voltaire; Marinetti – Futurism; Kurt Schwitters – Raoul Hausmann; Baroness Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven; Lettrism and Poésie Sonore: Isodore Isou and Henri Chopin; British Concrete Poetry and Bob Cobbing; Paula Claire (British Concrete Poet). The extra videos are worth checking out too.
posted by Kattullus (9 comments total)

this is great, thank you Kattalus

my first introduction to bp nichol was his Selected Organs collection, it was very narrative and accessible stuff and I just enjoyed it, and I've always liked his true eventual story of billy the kid

here's some of his sound work, Sound & Syntax International Festival of Sound Poetry, B.P. Nichol (1) 1978, low quality recording
posted by ginger.beef at 8:03 PM on December 5, 2024 [1 favorite]

omg amazing thanks, or as Jaap Blonk might say: splinks.
posted by Joeruckus at 2:05 AM on December 6, 2024 [1 favorite]

M O R E
A U D I B L E
D A D A
posted by polytope subirb enby-of-piano-dice at 6:10 AM on December 6, 2024 [1 favorite]

Because someone's got to post it: the most prominent piece of sound poetry in pop culture surely has to be Hugo Ball's "I Zimbra", as set to music by Talking Heads.
posted by letourneau at 8:28 AM on December 6, 2024 [2 favorites]

I'd suggest no discussion of sound poetry is complete without Marie Osmond performing Hugo Ball.
posted by the sobsister at 8:55 AM on December 6, 2024 [2 favorites]

The Four Horsemen , from the documentary Poetry in Motion.
posted by JohnFromGR at 11:11 AM on December 6, 2024 [2 favorites]

That Marie Osmond clip is awesome! What a great 2 minute made-for-weeknight-tv introduction to Dadism -- and her performance came across as quite engaged and sincere!
posted by treepour at 12:38 PM on December 6, 2024 [1 favorite]

Mod note: [Wow, so interesting (and educational)! We've added this post to the sidebar and Best Of blog roundup of recent great posts!]
posted by taz (staff) at 2:20 AM on December 8, 2024

Kurt Schwitters previously
The Ursonate on UbuWeb / PennSound
The UrSonate: Listening Guide to Performances on PennSound (2007) (Besides the Schwitters fragments and the more passionate of Blonk's versions, Linnunlaulupuu is where it's at imho)
Jaap Blonk's notes

The full recording published in 1993 and attributed to Kurt Schwitters is probably his son Ernst.

In the simultaneous poetry department, there's a good few different renditions of "L'amiral cherche une maison à louer" on youtube.
posted by polytope subirb enby-of-piano-dice at 6:05 AM on December 8, 2024 [1 favorite]