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Census • Person • Charles Burney

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Quotes

Composers • Writers

born	died
1726, Apr 7	1814, Apr 12

an English music historian, composer and musician, and father of the writers Frances Burney and Sarah Burney. Burney wrote some music for Thomson's Alfred, which was produced at Drury Lane theatre on 30 March 1745. His Ode for St Cecilia's Day was performed at Ranelagh Gardens in 1759. In 1776 appeared the first volume (in quarto) of his long-projected History of Music.

Links (4)
The Biography
Encyclopædia Britannica
McGill Burney Centre
Wikipedia

Gallery (1)
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Notes (1)
Works:	The Cunning Man, an adaptation of Jean-Jacques Rousseau'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 violonc... more	The Cunning Man, an adaptation of Jean-Jacques Rousseau'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 &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 concert pieces with an introduction and fugue for the organ Six Concertos for the violin, etc., in eight parts, op. 5 (c. 1760) 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, bk 1, op. 2 (c1750) I will love thee, O Lord my strength (Ps xviii), solo, chorus, orch, DMus exercise (1769) XII. Canzonetti a due voci in Canone, poesia deli' Abate Metastasio (c. 1790) 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. less

Mentions (1)
Cecilia Young
...composer Michael Arne. According to music historian Charles Burney, she had "a good natural voice and a fine shake...

Quotes (4) • View in Quotations
He certainly over-heated himself at Venice by walking at a season when it is said that only Dogs and Englishmen are seen out of doors at noon, all else lie down in the middle of the day.
Now, as discord is allowable, and even necessarily opposed to concord, why may not noise, or a seeming jargon, be opposed to fixed sounds and harmonical proportion? Some of the discords in modern music, unknown till this century, are what the ear can but just bear, but have a very good effect as to contrast. The severe laws of preparing and resolving discord, may be too much adhered to for great effect; I am convinced that provided the ear be at length made amends, there are few dissonances too strong for it.
The umbrage given to Cuzzoni by her [ Faustina Bordoni's] coming hither, proves that as Turkish monarchs can bear no brother near the throne, an aspiring sister is equally obnoxious to a theatrical Queen.
With respect to excellence of Style and Composition, it may perhaps be said that to practised ears the most pleasing Music is such as has the merit of novelty, added to refinement, and ingenious contrivance; and to the ignorant, such as is most familiar and common.