Apollo’s Cabinet – Musical Wanderlust

Musical Wanderlust: Charles Burney’s European Travels in Pursuit of Harmony

Charles Burney, born April 7, 1726 in Shropshire and died April 12, 1814 in Chelsea, was an organist, composer, and the foremost music historian of his time in England.

This album presents a kaleidoscope of European music from the 17th and 18th centuries from every country Burney visited during his two journeys. Inspired by Burney’s exploratory and individual spirit, we have continued his thoughts and added our own “marks of originality and novelty” to the pieces of music.

Excerpts have been selected from his diaries to illustrate the locations he visited. These have been edited only slightly, to aid a modern reader’s understanding or to be concise enough to fit on this album. The full text is well worth reading, very entertaining and can be found in his two travel diaries: ‘The present state of music in France and Italy’ (part 1) and ‘The present state of music in Germany, the Netherlands and United Provinces’ (part 2), or, ‘the journal of a tour through those countries, undertaken to collect materials for a general history of music’.

Prima Classic – PRIMA036

THE ARTIST

Apollo’s Cabinet

CREDITS

Guest: Sophia Prodanova – Violin
Narration: Alexander Armstrong

Recording: 15th -17th February 2023, Church of the Ascension, Plumstead, London
Chiaro Audio
Producer: Dr. Emily Baines
Recording Engineer: Dr. John Croft

Booklet Text: Teresa Wrann
Booklet Text Editing: David Pickering, Harry Buckoke
Photography: Joshua Firsht, Daniel Stettler, Abraham Buckoke
Booklet design: Romina Pacor
Cover design: Agustín Staffieri

Executive co-producers: Apollo’s Cabinet and Prima Classic

This recording has been generously supported by Angel Early Music.