Charles Burney
At a glance:
- Series: Dictionary of World Biography: The 17th and 18th Centuries
- Categories: Literature, Publishing, Music
- Subcategories: Authors, Writers, Musicians, Singers
- Curriculum: 19th Century European History, British History, 18th Century European History
Article abstract: Inspired by the prodigious commentary on music contained in the French Encyclopédie, Burney compiled an informative history of music that gave rise to a distinguished tradition of English musical criticism.
Early Life
Charles Burney was born April 7, 1726, in Shrewsbury, England, to a family that was descended from landed gentry in Shropshire. His father, James, was a portrait painter who, upon losing his first wife, married Ann Cooper. Burney had a twin sister, who died young. His parents settled in Chester, but Burney remained in...
[The entire page is 2292 words long]
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