The Present State of Music in France and Italy: Or, the Journal of a Tour through those Countries, Undertaken to Collect Materials for a General History of Music

Although a well-connected music teacher by profession, Charles Burney (1726-1814) gained greatest recognition for his writings on music. First published in 1771, this work recounts the 1770 journey that Burney undertook as one of two research trips for his General History of Music (1776-89). Eager to meet key composers of the day and to hear the latest music, Burney arrived in Paris in mid-June, soon moving on to Italy, where he spent the majority of his time. Naples, long a centre of musical excellence and then the focus of the new galant style, received particular attention. The whole account provides an invaluable first-hand insight into European musical life in the eighteenth century. Burney’s General History and the record of his second tour, The Present State of Music in Germany, the Netherlands, and United Provinces, 2nd edition (1775), are also reissued in this series.