# Jane Austen’s love of music—and why it matters | Kirstine Moffat | TEDxUniversity of Waikato

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiE0-MGPges
Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/eiE0-MGPges
Generated: 2026-01-23T16:39:20.369+00:00

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## Quick Overview

Kirstine Moffat argues that Jane Austen's deep, personal love of music, exemplified by her playing pieces like the Irish song "Robin Adair" and Haydn's Sonata in C, provided her with a vital emotional and intellectual outlet that informed her writing, offering solace and a controlled expressive world amidst personal hardships.

**Key Points:**
- Austen played music, specifically the Irish song "Robin Adair" and Haydn's Sonata in C, to express feelings of anxiety and dread about unfaithful men and her literary reputation.
- Austen's father purchased a piano for her in 1808, costing 20 pounds, which she used for both private pleasure and sharing music with others.
- The speaker emphasizes that Austen's music collection, including pieces by composers like Ann Elliot and Harriet Abrams, reveals her deep devotion to music.
- Austen's music provided her with a way to communicate complex emotions and allowed her to channel feelings that her writing might not fully capture.
- The music offered Austen a form of emotional and intellectual escape, allowing her to experience harmony and joy despite personal sorrow, such as the death of her father and loss of Captain Wentworth.
- The speaker suggests that Austen's own playing provided her with a constant theme of solace and understanding, contrasting with the emotional turmoil in her novels.
- The talk uses Austen's musical life as evidence that her creative output was deeply informed by her personal engagement with music.

![Screenshot at 00:14: Kirstine Moffat is shown closely playing a Steinway grand piano on stage, demonstrating the central role music and performance play in her presentation about Jane Austen's musical life.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/eiE0-MGPges/00-00-14.jpg)

**Context:** Kirstine Moffat delivers a TEDx talk titled "Jane Austen at the Piano" at TEDx University of Waikato, focusing on the often-overlooked significance of music in the life and work of Jane Austen. Moffat, dressed in Regency-style attire, illustrates how Austen's dedication to playing the piano was not merely a social accomplishment but a crucial emotional and expressive tool she utilized throughout her life, particularly during periods of distress.

## Detailed Analysis

Kirstine Moffat explores the profound role music played in Jane Austen's life, arguing that it served as a critical emotional and intellectual resource. Moffat begins by playing an Irish song, "Robin Adair," which Austen used to express heartbreak and dread regarding infidelity, suggesting music allowed Austen to articulate feelings too intense for her prose. Austen purchased a piano in 1808 for 20 pounds, which she used not only for personal enjoyment but also to share music with her family and friends, including her niece Caroline. The speaker highlights that Austen's musical repertoire, including pieces by composers like Ann Elliot and Harriet Abrams, was extensive and served as a template for expressing complex emotional states. Moffat contrasts the emotional turbulence Austen experienced—such as grief over her father's death and the loss of Captain Wentworth—with the solace she found in music, stating that playing provided her with a feeling of calm similar to reading one of her own novels. The music, Moffat asserts, was a constant source of joy and meaning, allowing Austen to express feelings that perhaps her writing could not fully convey, ultimately suggesting that understanding Austen’s musicality deepens the appreciation of her literary genius.

### Austen's Personal Music Use

- Playing "Robin Adair" to express anxiety over unfaithful men
- Playing Haydn's Sonata in C to express sorrow after her father's death
- Music provided solace and an expressive outlet.

### The Piano and Its Cost

- Father purchased a piano for Austen in 1808 for 20 pounds
- Used for private pleasure and social entertainment.

### Musical Repertoire

- Collection included pieces by Ann Elliot, William Shield, and Harriet Abrams
- Music provided a soundtrack to her life and literary themes.

### The Emotional Impact

- Music offered a way to process feelings of dismay, sorrow, and passion
- The music helped Austen express emotions Austen might not have been able to express directly in her writing.

![Screenshot at 00:05: The stage is set with large "TEDx UoWaikato" lettering, a grand piano on the right, and a red circular rug, ready for the performance.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/eiE0-MGPges/00-00-05.jpg)
![Screenshot at 00:32: Close-up of Kirstine Moffat intently playing the Steinway grand piano, showing her dedication to the musical performance segment.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/eiE0-MGPges/00-00-32.jpg)
![Screenshot at 01:05: Moffat standing center stage, gesturing emphatically while discussing the theme of heartbreak in the Irish song "Robin Adair."](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/eiE0-MGPges/00-01-05.jpg)
![Screenshot at 02:24: Moffat standing center stage, referencing the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth in 2025, indicating the event's context.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/eiE0-MGPges/00-02-24.jpg)
![Screenshot at 08:33: A slide displaying a portrait of Jane Austen seated at a square piano, illustrating the historical context of music-making during her era.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/eiE0-MGPges/00-08-33.jpg)