music historian Music history, sometimes called historical musicology, is a highly diverse subfield of the broader discipline of musicology that studies music from a historical point of view. In theory, "music history" could refer to the study of the history o ...

Frances Burney Frances Burney (13 June 1752 – 6 January 1840), also known as Fanny Burney and later Madame d'Arblay, was an English satirical novelist, diarist and playwright. In 1786–1790 she held the post as "Keeper of the Robes" to Charlotte of Mecklen ...

Sarah Burney Sarah Harriet Burney (29 August 1772 – 8 February 1844) was an English novelist, the daughter of musicologist and composer Charles Burney, and half-sister of the novelist and diarist Frances Burney (Madame d'Arblay). She had some intermittent ...

James Burney James Burney (13 June 1750 – 17 November 1821) was an English rear-admiral, who accompanied Captain Cook on his last two voyages. He later wrote two books on naval voyages and a third on the game of whist. Family Burney was born in London, al ...

Charles Burney Charles Burney (7 April 1726 – 12 April 1814) was an English music historian, composer and musician. He was the father of the writers Frances Burney and Sarah Burney, of the explorer James Burney, and of Charles Burney, a classicist a ...

British Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...

Joseph Haydn Franz Joseph Haydn ( , ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions ...

Shrewsbury Shrewsbury ( , also ) is a market town, civil parish, and the county town of Shropshire, England, on the River Severn, north-west of London; at the 2021 census, it had a population of 76,782. The town's name can be pronounced as either 'Sh ...

Condover Condover is a village and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in Shropshire, England. It is about south of the county town of Shrewsbury, and just east of the A49 road, A49. The Cound Brook flows through the village on its way from the Stret ...

Shrewsbury School Shrewsbury School is a public school (English independent boarding school for pupils aged 13 –18) in Shrewsbury. Founded in 1552 by Edward VI by Royal Charter, it was originally a boarding school for boys; girls have been admitted into the ...

The King's School, Chester The King's School, Chester, is a British co-educational independent day school for children aged 4 to 18. It is one of the seven 'King's Schools' established (or re-endowed and renamed) by King Henry VIII in 1541 after the Dissolution of ...

John Blow John Blow (baptised 23 February 1649 – 1 October 1708) was an English composer and organist of the Baroque music, Baroque period. Appointed organist of Westminster Abbey in late 1668,St Mary's Church, and was then sent to London as a pupil of

Thomas Arne Thomas Augustine Arne (; 12 March 17105 March 1778) was an English composer. He is best known for his patriotic song "Rule, Britannia!" and the song "A-Hunting We Will Go", the latter composed for a 1777 production of ''The Beggar's Opera'', whic ...

for three years. Burney wrote some music for Thomson's ''

Alfred Alfred may refer to: Arts and entertainment *''Alfred J. Kwak'', Dutch-German-Japanese anime television series * ''Alfred'' (Arne opera), a 1740 masque by Thomas Arne * ''Alfred'' (Dvořák), an 1870 opera by Antonín Dvořák *"Alfred (Interlu ...

'', which was produced at

Drury Lane Drury Lane is a street on the eastern boundary of the Covent Garden area of London, running between Aldwych and High Holborn. The northern part is in the borough of Camden and the southern part in the City of Westminster. Notable landmarks ...

Theatre on 30 March 1745. In 1749 he was appointed organist of

St Dionis Backchurch St Dionis Backchurch was a parish church in the Langbourn ward of the City of London. Of medieval origin, it was rebuilt after the Great Fire of London to the designs of Christopher Wren and demolished in 1878. Early history The church of St D ...

,

Fenchurch Street Fenchurch Street is a street in London linking Aldgate at its eastern end with Lombard Street and Gracechurch Street in the west. It is a well-known thoroughfare in the City of London financial district and is the site of many corporate office ...

, with a salary of £30 a year. According to the voting book, he secured the post against six other candidates with votes 50 to 4. He was also engaged to take the

harpsichord A harpsichord ( it, clavicembalo; french: clavecin; german: Cembalo; es, clavecín; pt, cravo; nl, klavecimbel; pl, klawesyn) is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. This activates a row of levers that turn a trigger mechanism ...

in the "New Concerts" then recently established at the King's Arms, Cornhill. It was for his health that he went in 1751 to

Lynn Regis King's Lynn, known until 1537 as Bishop's Lynn and colloquially as Lynn, is a port and market town in the borough of King's Lynn and West Norfolk in the county of Norfolk, England. It is located north of London, north-east of Peterborough, nor ...

in

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...

, where he was elected organist, with an annual salary of £100. He lived there for nine years. During that time he began to entertain the idea of writing a general history of music. His ''Ode for St Cecilia's Day'' was performed at

Ranelagh Gardens Ranelagh Gardens (; alternative spellings include Ranelegh and Ranleigh, the latter reflecting the English pronunciation) were public pleasure gardens located in Chelsea, then just outside London, England, in the 18th century. History The Ran ...

in 1759. In 1760 he returned to London in good health and with a young family. His eldest child, Esther, a girl of eight, surprised the public with her achievements as a harpsichord player. The concertos for harpsichord which Burney published soon after his return to London were much admired. In 1766 he produced, at

Drury Lane Drury Lane is a street on the eastern boundary of the Covent Garden area of London, running between Aldwych and High Holborn. The northern part is in the borough of Camden and the southern part in the City of Westminster. Notable landmarks ...

, a translation and adaptation of

Jean-Jacques Rousseau Jean-Jacques Rousseau (, ; 28 June 1712 – 2 July 1778) was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer. His political philosophy influenced the progress of the Age of Enlightenment throughout Europe, as well as aspects of the French Revolu ...

's opera ''

Le Devin du village ''Le devin du village'' ("The Village Soothsayer") is a one-act French opera (intermède) by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who also wrote the libretto. It was the first work in the repertory of the Académie Royale de Musique for which the text and music ...

'', under the title of ''The Cunning Man''.

Family and social life

In 1749, while working as an organist and harpsichordist in London, Charles married Esther Sleepe (c.1725–1762). The couple had six children: Esther or Hetty, who later became Mrs Burney on marrying her cousin Charles Rousseau Burney, the explorer

James Burney James Burney (13 June 1750 – 17 November 1821) was an English rear-admiral, who accompanied Captain Cook on his last two voyages. He later wrote two books on naval voyages and a third on the game of whist. Family Burney was born in London, al ...

, the celebrated writer

Frances Burney Frances Burney (13 June 1752 – 6 January 1840), also known as Fanny Burney and later Madame d'Arblay, was an English satirical novelist, diarist and playwright. In 1786–1790 she held the post as "Keeper of the Robes" to Charlotte of Mecklen ...

(often called Fanny), the correspondent Susan (Susy), Charlotte (later Mrs Francis), and

Charles Burney Charles Burney (7 April 1726 – 12 April 1814) was an English music historian, composer and musician. He was the father of the writers Frances Burney and Sarah Burney, of the explorer James Burney, and of Charles Burney, a classicist a ...

, a classicist and school headmaster. As vividly recorded by Fanny, the family moved in a lively cultural circle in London, which included the portrait painter

Sir Joshua Reynolds Sir Joshua Reynolds (16 July 1723 – 23 February 1792) was an English painter, specialising in portraits. John Russell said he was one of the major European painters of the 18th century. He promoted the "Grand Style" in painting which depend ...

, the lexicographer

Samuel Johnson Samuel Johnson (18 September 1709 – 13 December 1784), often called Dr Johnson, was an English writer who made lasting contributions as a poet, playwright, essayist, moralist, critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer. The ''Oxford ...

, the playwright

Richard Brinsley Sheridan Richard Brinsley Butler Sheridan (30 October 17517 July 1816) was an Irish satirist, a politician, a playwright, poet, and long-term owner of the London Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. He is known for his plays such as ''The Rivals'', ''The Sc ...

, the composers

Harriet Wainwright Harriet Wainwright Stewart (c. 1766–1843) was a British composer, singer, and writer. A musical entrepreneur, she developed a subscription list of several hundred people and sold at least two of her compositions (''Comala'' and ''Seringapatam'') ...

and

Joseph Haydn Franz Joseph Haydn ( , ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions ...

, the essayist

Edmund Burke Edmund Burke (; 12 January NS.html"_;"title="New_Style.html"_;"title="/nowiki>New_Style">NS">New_Style.html"_;"title="/nowiki>New_Style">NS/nowiki>_1729_–_9_July_1797)_was_an_ NS.html"_;"title="New_Style.html"_;"title="/nowiki>New_Style"> ...

and the MP for Southwark

Henry Thrale Henry Thrale (1724/1730?–4 April 1781) was a British politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1765 to 1780. He was a close friend of Samuel Johnson. Like his father, he was the proprietor of the large London brewery H. Thrale & Co. B ...

, whose wife

Hester Thrale Hester Lynch Thrale Piozzi (née Salusbury; later Piozzi; 27 January 1741 or 16 January 1740 – 2 May 1821),Contemporary records, which used the Julian calendar and the Annunciation Style of enumerating years, recorded her birth as 16 January ...

was a close friend of Fanny's. Charles's first wife Esther died in 1761. In 1767 he was married a second time, to Elizabeth Allen (Mrs Stephen Allen) of Lynn. From this union he had a son, Richard Thomas, and a daughter, Sarah Harriet Burney, who became a novelist.

Later career

The

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

honoured Burney, on 23 June 1769, with the degrees of Bachelor and Doctor of Music, and his own work was performed. This consisted of an anthem, with an overture, solos, recitatives and choruses, accompanied by instruments, besides a vocal anthem in eight parts, which was not performed. In 1769 he published ''An essay towards a history of the principal comets that have appeared since 1742''. Amidst his various professional avocations, Burney never lost sight of his main project, his ''History of Music''. He decided to travel abroad and collect materials that could not be found in Britain. He left London in June 1770, carrying numerous letters of introduction, and travelled to Paris,

Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...

,

Turin Turin ( , Piedmontese language, Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital ...

,

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

,

Padua Padua ( ; it, Padova ; vec, Pàdova) is a city and ''comune'' in Veneto, northern Italy. Padua is on the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice. It is the capital of the province of Padua. It is also the economic and communications hub of the ...

,

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

,

Bologna Bologna (, , ; egl, label= Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nat ...

(where he met

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...

and his

father A father is the male parent of a child. Besides the paternal bonds of a father to his children, the father may have a parental, legal, and social relationship with the child that carries with it certain rights and obligations. An adoptive fathe ...

),

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...

,

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

and

Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...

. The results of his observations were published in a well-received book, ''The Present State of Music in France and Italy'' (1771). In July 1772 Burney again visited the continent to do further research, and on his return to London published an account of his tour under the title ''The Present State of Music in Germany, the Netherlands and United Provinces'' (1773). In 1773 he was elected a fellow of the

Royal Society The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...

. In 1776 appeared the first volume (in quarto) of Burney's long-projected ''History of Music''. In 1782 Burney published his second volume; and in 1789 the third and fourth. The ''History of Music'' was generally well received, although criticized by Forkel in Germany and by the Spanish ex-Jesuit, Requeno, who in his ''Saggj sul Ristabilimento dell' Arte Armonica de' Greci e Romani Canton'' (Parma, 1798) attacked Burney's account of ancient Greek music and called him ''lo scompigliato Burney'' (the confused Burney). The fourth volume covers the birth and development of opera and the musical scene in England in Burney's time. Burney's first tour was translated into German by

Christoph Daniel Ebeling Christoph Daniel Ebeling (20 November 1741 – 30 June 1817) was a scholar of Germany who studied the geography and history of North America. Biography Ebeling was born near Hildesheim, Hanover. He studied theology at Göttingen, but devoted himse ...

, and printed at Hamburg in 1772. His second tour, translated into German by

Johann Joachim Christoph Bode Johann Joachim Christoph Bode (January 16, 1731 – December 13, 1793) was a well-known German translator of literary works. Life Bode was born in Braunschweig, the son of a poor day laborer from Schöppenstedt, and went as a shepherd boy to hi ...

, was published at Hamburg in 1773. A Dutch translation of his second tour, with notes by J. W. Lustig, organist at

Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of the northern part of t ...

, was published there in 1786. The ''Dissertation on the Music of the Ancients'', in the first volume of Burney's History, was translated into German by

Johann Joachim Eschenburg Johann Joachim Eschenburg (7 December 1743 – 29 February 1820) was a German critic and literary historian. He was born and educated at Hamburg, going on to study at the University of Leipzig and University of Göttingen. In 1767 he was appo ...

, and printed at Leipzig, 1781. Burney derived much aid from the first two volumes of Padre Martini's very learned ''Storia della Musica'' (Bologna, 1757–1770). In 1774 he had written ''A Plan for a Music School''. In 1779 he wrote for the Royal Society an account of the young

William Crotch William Crotch (5 July 177529 December 1847) was an English composer and organist. According to the American musicologist Nicholas Temperley, Crotchwas "a child prodigy without parallel in the history of music", and was certainly the most disti ...

, whose remarkable musical talent excited so much attention at that time. In 1784 he published, with an Italian title page, the music annually performed in the Pope's chapel at Rome during

Passion Week Holy Week ( la, Hebdomada Sancta or , ; grc, Ἁγία καὶ Μεγάλη Ἑβδομάς, translit=Hagia kai Megale Hebdomas, lit=Holy and Great Week) is the most sacred week in the liturgical year in Christianity. In Eastern Churches, wh ...

. In 1785 he published, for the benefit of the Musical Fund, an account of the first

commemoration Commemoration may refer to: *Commemoration (Anglicanism), a religious observance in Churches of the Anglican Communion *Commemoration (liturgy), insertion in one liturgy of portions of another *Memorialization *"Commemoration", a song by the 3rd a ...

of

George Friedrich Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel (; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concertos. Handel received his training i ...

in

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...

in the preceding year, with a life of Handel. In 1796 he published ''Memoirs and Letters of

Metastasio Pietro Antonio Domenico Trapassi (3 January 1698 – 12 April 1782), better known by his pseudonym of Pietro Metastasio (), was an Italian poet and librettist, considered the most important writer of ''opera seria'' libretti. Early life Me ...

''. Towards the close of his life Burney was paid £1000 for contributing to ''

Rees's Cyclopædia Rees's ''Cyclopædia'', in full ''The Cyclopædia; or, Universal Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and Literature'' was an important 19th-century British encyclopaedia edited by Rev. Abraham Rees (1743–1825), a Presbyterian minister and scholar w ...

'' all the musical articles not belonging to the department of natural philosophy and mathematics. The latter were written by John Farey, Sr and Jr. Burney's contribution to Rees included much new material which had not appeared in his earlier writings, particularly about the London music scene then. In 1783, through the treasury influence of his friend

Edmund Burke Edmund Burke (; 12 January NS.html"_;"title="New_Style.html"_;"title="/nowiki>New_Style">NS">New_Style.html"_;"title="/nowiki>New_Style">NS/nowiki>_1729_–_9_July_1797)_was_an_ NS.html"_;"title="New_Style.html"_;"title="/nowiki>New_Style"> ...

, he was appointed organist to the chapel of

Chelsea Hospital The Royal Hospital Chelsea is a retirement home and nursing home for some 300 veterans of the British Army. Founded as an almshouse, the ancient sense of the word "hospital", it is a site located on Royal Hospital Road in Chelsea. It is an i ...

. He moved there from St Martin's Street,

Leicester Square Leicester Square ( ) is a pedestrianised square in the West End of London, England. It was laid out in 1670 as Leicester Fields, which was named after the recently built Leicester House, itself named after Robert Sidney, 2nd Earl of Leicester ...

and remained there for the rest of his life. He penned and published a sonnet in honor of Joseph Haydn, who he had been in correspondence with throughout his two trips to London, and his admiration for Handel greatly influenced Haydn's decision to focus on oratorio upon his return to Vienna which would eventually turn into The Creation. In 1810, he was made a member of the Institute of France and nominated a correspondent in the class of the fine arts. From 1806 until his death he enjoyed a pension of £300 granted by

Charles James Fox Charles James Fox (24 January 1749 – 13 September 1806), styled ''The Honourable'' from 1762, was a prominent British Whig statesman whose parliamentary career spanned 38 years of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He was the arch-riv ...

. He died at Chelsea College on 12 April 1814, and was interred in the burial ground of the college. A tablet was erected to his memory in

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...

. Burney's library was sold at auction by John White of Westminster beginning on 8 August 1814.

Likenesses and accounts

Burney's portrait was painted by

Reynolds Reynolds may refer to: Places Australia *Hundred of Reynolds, a cadastral unit in South Australia *Hundred of Reynolds (Northern Territory), a cadastral unit in the Northern Territory of Australia United States * Reynolds, Mendocino County, Calif ...

in 1781 for

Henry Thrale Henry Thrale (1724/1730?–4 April 1781) was a British politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1765 to 1780. He was a close friend of Samuel Johnson. Like his father, he was the proprietor of the large London brewery H. Thrale & Co. B ...

's library. His bust was cut by Nollekens in 1805. He also appears in James Barry's ''The Thames'' (also known as ''Triumph of Navigation''), which was painted in 1791 for the

Royal Society of Arts The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA), also known as the Royal Society of Arts, is a London-based organisation committed to finding practical solutions to social challenges. The RSA acronym is used m ...

. He had a wide circle of acquaintance among the distinguished artists and literary men of his day. At one time he thought of writing a life of his friend

Samuel Johnson Samuel Johnson (18 September 1709 – 13 December 1784), often called Dr Johnson, was an English writer who made lasting contributions as a poet, playwright, essayist, moralist, critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer. The ''Oxford ...

, but retired before the crowd of biographers who rushed into that field. Burney's eldest son,

James Burney James Burney (13 June 1750 – 17 November 1821) was an English rear-admiral, who accompanied Captain Cook on his last two voyages. He later wrote two books on naval voyages and a third on the game of whist. Family Burney was born in London, al ...

, was a distinguished officer in the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

, who died a rear-admiral in 1821, having accompanied

Captain Cook James Cook (7 November 1728 Old Style date: 27 October – 14 February 1779) was a British explorer, navigator, cartographer, and captain in the British Royal Navy, famous for his three voyages between 1768 and 1779 in the Pacific Ocean an ...

on his last two voyages. His second son was the Rev.

Charles Burney Charles Burney (7 April 1726 – 12 April 1814) was an English music historian, composer and musician. He was the father of the writers Frances Burney and Sarah Burney, of the explorer James Burney, and of Charles Burney, a classicist a ...

, a major donor of books to the British Museum, and his second daughter was Frances or Fanny, the novelist, later

Madame D'Arblay Frances Burney (13 June 1752 – 6 January 1840), also known as Fanny Burney and later Madame d'Arblay, was an English satirical novelist, diarist and playwright. In 1786–1790 she held the post as "Keeper of the Robes" to Charlotte of Mecklen ...

. Her published diary and letters contain many minute and interesting particulars of her father's public and private life, and of his friends and contemporaries, including his initial opposition to her marriage to the French refugee Alexandre D'Arblay in 1793 and to her sister Charlotte's remarriage to the pamphleteer and stock jobber

Ralph Broome Lieutenant colonel Ralph Howard Broome (5 July 1889 – 25 January 1985) was a British Army officer and bobsledder who competed during the early 1920s. He was born in Dalhousie, Himachal Pradesh, India, and died in Poole, Dorset, Engla ...

in 1798. A life of Burney was compiled by Madame D'Arblay and appeared in 1832, but it has been criticized consistently for being eulogistic. His daughter by his second marriage,

Sarah Burney Sarah Harriet Burney (29 August 1772 – 8 February 1844) was an English novelist, the daughter of musicologist and composer Charles Burney, and half-sister of the novelist and diarist Frances Burney (Madame d'Arblay). She had some intermittent ...

, was likewise a novelist. Her letters provide interesting, less adulatory information about her father. Although Sarah looked after him in his old age, their personal relations remained poor.

Cultural references

Samuel Johnson drew inspiration from ''The Present State of Music in France and Italy'' (1771), according to later writers: "Dr. Burney published an account of his tour ... which was extremely well received, and deemed by the best judges so good a model for travellers who were inclined to give a description of what they had seen or observed, that Dr. Johnson professedly imitated it in his own Tour of the Hebrides, saying, 'I had that clever dog Burney's ''Musical Tour'' in my eye. Burney appears in a story by

Lillian de la Torre Lillian de la Torre Bueno McCue (née Bueno; pen name, Lillian de la Torre; 1902 – September 13, 1993) was an American novelist and a prolific writer of historical mysteries. She served as President of the Mystery Writers of America. Biograph ...

(Lillian Bueno McCue, 1902–1993), a US writer of historical mysteries, entitled "The Viotti Stradivarius", part of her series featuring Samuel Johnson as a "detector" (detective). The story features a fictitious meeting between Burney, his daughter Fanny,

Giovanni Battista Viotti Giovanni Battista Viotti (12 May 1755 – 3 March 1824) was an Italian violinist whose virtuosity was famed and whose work as a composer featured a prominent violin and an appealing lyrical tunefulness. He was also a director of French and Italia ...

and his

Stradivarius A Stradivarius is one of the violins, violas, cellos and other string instruments built by members of the Italian family Stradivari, particularly Antonio Stradivari (Latin: Antonius Stradivarius), during the 17th and 18th centuries. They are co ...

, and

Grigory Grigoryevich Orlov Prince Grigory Grigoryevich Orlov (russian: Князь Григорий Григорьевич Орлов; 6 October 1734, Bezhetsky Uyezd – 13 April 1783, Moscow) was a favourite of the Empress Catherine the Great of Russia. He became a leade ...

, along with Johnson and

James Boswell James Boswell, 9th Laird of Auchinleck (; 29 October 1740 (New Style, N.S.) – 19 May 1795), was a Scottish biographer, diarist, and lawyer, born in Edinburgh. He is best known for his biography of his friend and older contemporary the Englis ...

, in connection with the theft and recovery of the

Orlov diamond The Orlov (sometimes spelled Orloff), also known as The Great Mughal Diamond, is a large diamond of Indian origin, currently displayed as a part of the Diamond Fund collection of Moscow's Kremlin Armoury. It is described as having the shape and ...

.

Compositions

#''The Cunning Man'', an adaptation of

Jean-Jacques Rousseau Jean-Jacques Rousseau (, ; 28 June 1712 – 2 July 1778) was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer. His political philosophy influenced the progress of the Age of Enlightenment throughout Europe, as well as aspects of the French Revolu ...

's opera ''Le Devin du village'' (1766–67) #Six Sonatas for the harpsichord (1761) #Two Sonatas for the harpsichord or piano, with accompaniments for violin and violoncello; 2 sets (1769 and 1772) #Sonatas for two violins and a bass, op. 4 (1759) #Six Lessons for the harpsichord #Six Duets for two German flutes #Three Concertos for the harpsichord #Six Cornet Pieces with an introduction and fugue for the organ #Six Concertos for the violin, etc., in eight parts, op. 5 () #Two Sonatas for pianoforte, violin and violoncello #''Four Sonatas or Duets for two Performers on One Piano Forte or Harpsichord'' (1777) #Anthems, etc. #6 Songs composed for the Temple of Apollo, book 1, op. 2 () # ''I will love thee, O Lord my strength'' (Psalm xviii), solo, chorus, orchestra, DMus exercise (1769) #XII. Canzonetti a due voci in Canone, poesia deli' Abate

Metastasio Pietro Antonio Domenico Trapassi (3 January 1698 – 12 April 1782), better known by his pseudonym of Pietro Metastasio (), was an Italian poet and librettist, considered the most important writer of ''opera seria'' libretti. Early life Me ...

() #''Preludes, Fugues, and Interludes; for the Organ. Alphabetically arranged in all the keys that are most perfectly in tune upon that Instrument & printed in a Pocket size for the convenience of Young Organists, for whose use this book is particularly calculated & Published by Chas. Burney, Mus:D.''

Burney's papers

After his death in 1814, Burney's daughter Frances destroyed many manuscripts, including his journals, and obliterated passages in others. Burney's library was sold at auction in London by Leigh & Sotheby on 9 June 1814 (and eight following days); a copy of the sale catalogue is held at Cambridge University Library (shelfmark Munby.c.163(7)). Surviving papers are widely scattered: in the Osborn Collection at Yale University, the Berg Collection at New York Public Library, the British Library and the Bodleian Library, Oxford, and in smaller public and private collections. (See

Roger Lonsdale Roger Harrison Lonsdale, FBA (6 August 1934 – 28 February 2022) was a British literary scholar and academic born in Hornsea, East Riding of Yorkshire. He was a Fellow and Tutor at Balliol College Oxford from 1963 to 2000, and Professor of Engli ...

, ''Dr Charles Burney, a Literary Biography'', Oxford 1965 pp 495–497.) The Burney Centre at McGill University, Montreal, Canada, has long been publishing the papers of the Burney family, including those of Charles and his daughter, Francis (Fanny Burney). ''The Letters of Dr Charles Burney (1751–1814)'' General Editor: Peter Sabor A scholarly edition of the Letters of Dr Charles Burney is being published in six volumes by Oxford University Press: *Vol 1 1751–1784 edited by Alvaro Ribeiro, SJ, *Vol 2 1785–1793 (forthcoming) edited by Lorna Clark *Vol 3 1794–1800 (forthcoming) edited by Stewart Cooke *Vol 4 1801–1806 (forthcoming) edited by Stewart Cooke *Vol 5 1807–1809 (forthcoming) edited by Nancy Johnson *Vol 5 1810–1814 (forthcoming) edited by Peter Sabor

References

Chronological list of sources

Many of the following refer to Burney's music articles in Rees's ''Cyclopaedia'', (1802–1819). *P. A. Scholes, ''The Puritans and Early Music in England and New England'', OUP, 1934. Makes occasional references to Burney's articles in Rees. *P. A. Scholes, ''The Oxford Companion to Music'', 1938 (and later eds), makes frequent citations from Burney's Rees articles and includes some illustrations from the work. *P. A. Scholes, "A New Enquiry into the Life and Work of Dr Burney", ''Proceedings of the Musical Association'' 67th Session, 1940–1941, pp. 1–30. pp. 24–25 has a section entitled "Burney an Encyclopaedist". *P. A. Scholes, ''The Great Dr Burney'', 1948, Vol. 2, pp. 184–201, Chapter LVIII, "Virtues and vagaries of a septuagenarian encyclopædist" References to and quotes from Burney's articles in Rees *P. A. Scholes, ''Dr Burney's Musical Tours in Europe'', 2 vols, OUP, 1959. References to and quotes from Burney's articles in Rees *C. B. Oldman, "Dr Burney and Mozart", ''Mozart Jahrbuch 1962/63''. (1964), pp. 73–81, includes extracts from Burney's Rees articles about Mozart. *Roger Lonsdale, ''Dr Charles Burney: a Literary Biography'', OUP 1965, pp. 407–431, Chapter X, "Burney and Rees's ''Cyclopædia''" *Roger Lonsdale, "Dr Burney's 'Dictionary of Music", ''Musicology Australia'', Vol. 5, No. 1, pp. 159–171, 1979. Account of Burney's Rees articles with criticism of Scholes's discussion of them *Jamie Croy Kassler, ''The Science of Music in Britain: A Catalogue of writings, Lectures and Inventions'', 2 vols, Garland, 1979. Both Burney and Farey Sr appear often in the Index. Rees's ''Cyclopaedia'' and music are discussed on pp. 1200–1204. *Kerry S. Grant, ''Dr Burney as Critic and Historian of Music''. UMI Research Press, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1983. Frequent references to and some quotes from Burney's articles in Rees *Slava Klima, Gary Bowers and Kerry S. Grant, ''Memoirs of Dr Charles Burney, 1726–1769'', University of Nebraska Press. Lincoln and London, 1988. Frequent references to and quotes from Burney's articles in Rees *A. P. Woolrich, ''Dr Burney and Rees's Cyclopaedia'', ''Burney Letter'', Vol. 23, No. 1, Spring, 2017, pp. 1–2 and 10–11. Discusses Burney's music contribution to ''Cyclopaedia''. ''Burney Letter'' published by the Burney Society. ISSN 1703-9835. *A. P. Woolrich, "Consolidated edition of the Music Biographies from Rees's Cyclopaedia, (1802–1819)", ''Burney Letter'', Vol. 23, No. 2, Fall, 2017, pp. 6–7. Edited version of fuller introduction to biographies *A. P. Woolrich, ''The General music articles in Rees's Cyclopaedia'' by Dr Charles Burney, John Farey, Sr. & John Farey, Jr., ''Burney Letter'', Vol. 25, No. 2, Spring. 2019. pp. 1, 6–7 and 12 *A. P. Woolrich, ''Dr Charles Burney and Hymn Tunes'', ''Burney Letter'', Vol. 27, No. 1, Spring. 2021. p. 5

Own publications

*''An Essay towards a History of Comets that have appeared since the year 1742...'', London, 1769 *''The Present State of Music in France and Italy...'', London, London, 1771 *''The Present State of Music in Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Provinces...'', London, 1773 *Modern editions: **''Dr Burney's Continental Travels, 1770–1772'', ed. C. H. Glover, 1927 **''Dr Burney's Musical Tours in Europe'', ed. P. A. Scholes, Oxford, 2 vols, 1959 **''Music, Men, And Manners in France and Italy, 1770'', ed., from the original manuscript by H. Edmund Poole, London, 1969 *''A General History of Music'', London, Vol. 1, 1776; Vol. 2, 1782; Vols 3/4, 1789 *Modern edition: **''A General History of Music... by Charles Burney'', ed. Frank Mercer, 2 vols, London, 1935, reprint New York, 1957 *''Account of an Infant Musician illiam Crotch' London, 1779 *''Account of Mademoiselle Theresa Paradis, of Vienna...'' London, 1785 *''An account of the Musical Performances in Westminster Abbey... In Commemoration of Handel'', London, 1785 *Numerous book reviews in the ''Monthly Review'', London, 1785–1802 Roger Lonsdale, "Dr Burney and the ''Monthly Review''", ''Review of English Studies'', xiv (1963), pp. 346–348 and xv. (1964), pp. 27–37. *''Verses on the Arrival in England of the Great Musician Haydn'', London, 1791 *''Memoirs of the Life and Writings of the Abate Metastasio...'' London, 3 vols, 1796 *''Hymn for the Emperor. Composed by Doctor Haydn'', translated by Burney, London, 1799 *Numerous musical articles for Rees's Cyclopaedia –1808, published 1802–1819. These may be found online at the Burney Centre: https://www.mcgill.ca/burneycentre/resources/online-texts (scroll down).

External links

Burney Centre at McGill University
* *
Hester Thrale's account of Charles Burney
*
Charles Burney
at the

National Portrait Gallery, London The National Portrait Gallery (NPG) is an art gallery in London housing a collection of portraits of historically important and famous British people. It was arguably the first national public gallery dedicated to portraits in the world when it ...

* * Free Books by Charles Burney(IMSLP) {{DEFAULTSORT:Burney, Charles 1726 births 1814 deaths People from Shrewsbury Fellows of the Royal Society English Classical-period composers 18th-century English historians English music historians

Charles Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*k ...

Streathamites People educated at Shrewsbury School People educated at The King's School, Chester

Early life and career

Family and social life

Later career

Likenesses and accounts

Cultural references

Compositions

Burney's papers

See also

References

Chronological list of sources

Own publications

External links