Charles Burney quotes

Charles Burney was an English music historian, composer, and musician, renowned for his influential writings on the history of music. His extensive travels across Europe allowed him to collect valuable information about musical practices and composers of his time. He contributed significantly to the understanding and documentation of European music in the eighteenth century. Here are 4 of his quotes:

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.

Charles Burney

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.

Charles Burney

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.

Charles Burney