The music traveler Charles Burney: discover history and encounters!

The music traveler Charles Burney: discover history and encounters!

Charles Burney, a renowned music historian, composer and organist, had a decisive influence on the world of music in the 18th century. Born the son of a portrait painter, he was educated in Shrewsbury and Chester and received his first music lessons from Edmund Baker, organist at Chester Cathedral. He further developed his musical talent with his half-brother James and as a student of Thomas Arne in London. Burney even played violin and viola in Handel's orchestra, demonstrating his familiarity with the music of his time.

His work spans several important works and projects. As early as 1748 he published his first printed compositions, the “6 sonatas for 2 violins and continuo”. A year later he took on the role of organist at St Dionis Backchurch in London and married Esther Sleepe. After her death in 1761, he found another partner in marriage to the widowed Elisabeth Allen, with whom he had three children. For health reasons, Burney moved to King's Lynn in 1751, where he worked as an organist for nine years and planned the foundations for a comprehensive history of music.

Travel reports and their meaning

In the 1770s, Burney undertook significant travels through Europe, which significantly influenced his later works. He traveled through France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Austria and Flanders, documenting his encounters with outstanding musicians such as Wolfgang and Leopold Mozart as well as Christoph Willibald Gluck and Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach. These travel reports are not only important contemporary historical documents, but also valuable contributions to music historiography, which are now recognized as a fundamental part of studies on the history of music in the 18th century. OE1 reports that his experiences and stories are still important today.

His work “The Present State of Music in France and Italy”, published in 1771, and his travel report “The Present State of Music in Germany, the Netherlands and United Provinces” from 1773 are considered further highlights of his travels. The first volume of his comprehensive “A General History of Music” appeared in 1776, followed by two further volumes in 1782 and 1789. These publications were largely received positively, even if they were not without critical voices.

A legacy in music historiography

Burney's influence on the music world extended beyond his travelogues. In 1785 he published a report in memory of the famous composer George Frideric Handel and in 1796 the “Memoirs and Letters of Metastasio”. From 1802 he wrote musical articles for Rees's Cyclopaedia, for which he received a considerable sum of £1000. Burney became organist at Chelsea College in 1783 and enjoyed a state pension of £300 until his death. He died at Chelsea College and was buried there, while a plaque in Westminster Abbey commemorates his life's work.

Burney was associated with numerous artists and writers of the 18th century and left behind a family that was active in various fields. His eldest son James served as an officer in the Royal Navy, while his daughter Frances became known as a novelist and published diaries that provide insight into her father's life. A comprehensive biography of Fanny Burney was published posthumously in 1832 and contributes to the lasting memory of Charles Burney as an important figure in music history.