Series:

Cambridge Library Collection - Music

1 primary work • 9 total works

Volume 3

Cover of Concert Room and Orchestra Anecdotes of Music and Musicians; Ancient and Modern
The writer, composer and organist Thomas Busby (1754-1838) was originally articled to the composer Jonathan Battishill before setting out to make his living from both musical and literary labours. His compositions (many now lost) include songs, theatre music and oratorios. His written output comprised journal articles and monographs, among them A Grammar of Music and A General History of Music (both reissued in this series). The present work, his most endearing, was first published in 1825. Gossipy, informative and highly entertaining, it yields all manner of insights into musical life through history. Approximately a thousand anecdotes are assembled across the three volumes as a delightful potpourri, interspersed with pen portraits of eminent musicians. Volume 3 includes entries on the music of ancient Greece and Rome, madrigals, the velocity of sound, church bells, and The Beggar's Opera. The volume concludes with an index to the whole work.

Cover of Concert Room and Orchestra Anecdotes of Music and Musicians, Ancient and Modern (Volume 1)
The writer, composer and organist Thomas Busby (1754-1838) was originally articled to the composer Jonathan Battishill before setting out to make his living from both musical and literary labours. His compositions (many now lost) include songs, theatre music and oratorios. His written output comprised journal articles and monographs, among them A Grammar of Music and A General History of Music (both reissued in this series). The present work, his most endearing, was first published in 1825. Gossipy, informative and highly entertaining, it yields all manner of insights into musical life through history. Approximately a thousand anecdotes are assembled across the three volumes as a delightful potpourri, interspersed with pen portraits of eminent musicians. Volume 1 includes discussion of Sir John Hawkins, the Panharmonicon, Rodolphe Kreutzer, Beethoven's eccentricity, and music as a treatment for the bite of a spider.

Cover of Concert Room and Orchestra Anecdotes of Music and Musicians, Ancient and Modern (Volume 3)
The writer, composer and organist Thomas Busby (1754-1838) was originally articled to the composer Jonathan Battishill before setting out to make his living from both musical and literary labours. His compositions (many now lost) include songs, theatre music and oratorios. His written output comprised journal articles and monographs, among them A Grammar of Music and A General History of Music (both reissued in this series). The present work, his most endearing, was first published in 1825. Gossipy, informative and highly entertaining, it yields all manner of insights into musical life through history. Approximately a thousand anecdotes are assembled across the three volumes as a delightful potpourri, interspersed with pen portraits of eminent musicians. Volume 3 includes entries on the music of ancient Greece and Rome, madrigals, the velocity of sound, church bells, and The Beggar's Opera. The volume concludes with an index to the whole work.

Cover of A Grammar of Music

A Grammar of Music

by Thomas Busby

Published 21 November 1976
The writer, composer and organist Thomas Busby (1754-1838) is best remembered for his highly entertaining Concert Room and Orchestra Anecdotes (1825), which paints a vivid picture of musical life at the time. The son of a coach painter, Busby was originally articled to the composer Jonathan Battishill but found the experience unrewarding. His compositions (many now lost) include songs, theatre music, The Divine Harmonist, and the oratorios The Prophecy and Britannia. Throughout his working life he continued his extensive literary activities, musical and otherwise, contributing to journals such as the Monthly Magazine and Public Characters, and publishing several books, among them A General History of Music (also reissued in this series). First published in 1818, the present work is a primer on music theory and the principles of composition. Busby intended it to be 'a compendium ... modern and amusing in its style ... to impart knowledge and facilitate execution'. Reissued here is the second edition of 1826.

Cover of A General History of Music, from the Earliest Times to the Present: Volume 1
The writer, composer and organist Thomas Busby (1754-1838) is best remembered for his highly entertaining Concert Room and Orchestra Anecdotes (1825), which paints a vivid picture of musical life at the time. The son of a coach painter, Busby was originally articled to the composer Jonathan Battishill, but found the experience unrewarding. His compositions (many now lost) include songs, theatre music and oratorios. His literary output included journal articles and monographs, among them A Grammar of Music (also reissued in this series) and A General History of Music. First published in 1819, this two-volume work proved controversial as it was alleged that Busby had plagiarised the great histories of Burney and Hawkins (also available in the Cambridge Library Collection). However, acknowledging his indebtedness to them, Busby provided a popular interpretation of their work for the general reader. Volume 1 covers the period from the ancient Greeks and Romans to the Renaissance and the invention of printing.

Cover of A General History of Music, from the Earliest Times to the Present 2 Volume Set
The writer, composer and organist Thomas Busby (1754-1838) is best remembered for his highly entertaining Concert Room and Orchestra Anecdotes (1825), which paints a vivid picture of musical life at the time. The son of a coach painter, Busby was originally articled to the composer Jonathan Battishill, but found the experience unrewarding. His compositions (many now lost) include songs, theatre music and oratorios. His literary output included journal articles and monographs, among them A Grammar of Music (also reissued in this series) and A General History of Music. First published in 1819, this two-volume work proved controversial as it was alleged that Busby had plagiarised the great histories of Burney and Hawkins (also available in the Cambridge Library Collection). However, acknowledging his indebtedness to them, Busby provided a popular interpretation of their work for the general reader.

Cover of A General History of Music, from the Earliest Times to the Present: Volume 2
The writer, composer and organist Thomas Busby (1754-1838) is best remembered for his highly entertaining Concert Room and Orchestra Anecdotes (1825), which paints a vivid picture of musical life at the time. The son of a coach painter, Busby was originally articled to the composer Jonathan Battishill, but found the experience unrewarding. His compositions (many now lost) include songs, theatre music and oratorios. His literary output included journal articles and monographs, among them A Grammar of Music (also reissued in this series) and A General History of Music. First published in 1819, this two-volume work proved controversial as it was alleged that Busby had plagiarised the great histories of Burney and Hawkins (also available in the Cambridge Library Collection). However, acknowledging his indebtedness to them, Busby provided a popular interpretation of their work for the general reader. Volume 2 covers the period from the sixteenth century to Busby's own time, with a particular emphasis on England.

Cover of Concert Room and Orchestra Anecdotes of Music and Musicians, Ancient and Modern 3 Volume Set
The writer, composer and organist Thomas Busby (1754-1838) was originally articled to the composer Jonathan Battishill before setting out to make his living from both musical and literary labours. His compositions (many now lost) include songs, theatre music and oratorios. His written output comprised journal articles and monographs, among them A Grammar of Music and A General History of Music (both reissued in this series). The present work was first published in 1825. Gossipy, informative and highly entertaining, it yields all manner of insights into musical life through history. Approximately a thousand anecdotes are assembled across the three volumes as a delightful potpourri, interspersed with pen portraits of eminent musicians. Volume 1 includes discussion of Sir John Hawkins and Beethoven's eccentricity. Volume 2 contains entries on Italian castrato Farinelli and English lutist Thomas Mace. Volume 3 features pieces on the music of ancient Greece and Rome, along with the work's index.

Cover of Concert Room and Orchestra Anecdotes of Music and Musicians, Ancient and Modern: Volume 2
The writer, composer and organist Thomas Busby (1754-1838) was originally articled to the composer Jonathan Battishill before setting out to make his living from both musical and literary labours. His compositions (many now lost) include songs, theatre music and oratorios. His written output comprised journal articles and monographs, among them A Grammar of Music and A General History of Music (both reissued in this series). The present work, his most endearing, was first published in 1825. Gossipy, informative and highly entertaining, it yields all manner of insights into musical life through history. Approximately a thousand anecdotes are assembled across the three volumes as a delightful potpourri, interspersed with pen portraits of eminent musicians. Volume 2 includes a tale about Louis XI's request to hear a concert of hogs, along with entries on the Italian castrato Farinelli, English lutist Thomas Mace, Handel's despotism and Mozart's benevolence.