The English music historian

A General History of Music, from the Earliest Ages to the Present Period was published in late January 1776, dedicated to Queen Charlotte, with a power list of 897 subscribers who had effectively crowd-funded this first history of music written in English. Charles Burney, the author, was born 7 April 1726. An apprentice to Thomas Arne, he was a fan of the Italian opera fashionable at George III's court, and his writings advocated for the professional musicians of his time.

Sophie Coulombeau is a Senior Lecturer at the University of York, and her Essay looks at the writings of this man of letters, whose compositions have recently been recorded for the first time by the baroque musical ensemble Apollo’s Cabinet.

Producer: Luke Mulhall

Music featured in the Essay includes extracts from Georg Friedrich Händel Suite in D minor, HWV 437: III. Sarabande
Thomas Arne's Rule, Britannia performed by Catherine Bott, Joseph Cornwell, and The Parley of Instruments
Johann Adolf Hasse: Canzonette veneziane da battello. Raccolta di gondoliere: Mia cara Anzoletta performed by Jordi Savall and Hesperion XXI
Giulio Sabino Sarti:: Lungi dal caro bene performed by Renata Tebaldi with the New Philharmonia Orchestra
Charles Burney and John Gay's The Despairing Shepherd: I. The sun was sunk beneath the hills performed by Apollo's Cabinet