Page:A Dictionary of Music and Musicians vol 1.djvu/297

BURNEY. known to every musical reader. Dr. Burney also wrote 'An Essay towards the History of Comets,' 1769; 'A Plan for a Music School,' 1774; and the 'Life and Letters of Metastasio,' 3 vols. 8vo, 1796. His last labour was on Rees' Cyclopedia, for which work he furnished all the musical articles, except those of a philosophical and mathematical kind. His remuneration for this was £1000, and as most of the matter was extracted without alteration from his History, the price was large.

During a long life Dr. Burney enjoyed the intimate acquaintance of almost every contemporary who was distinguished either in literature or the arts; with Johnson he was in habits of friendship; and it is known that soon after Johnson's death, he had serious thoughts of becoming his biographer. For many years Dr. Burney lived in St. Martin's Street, Leicester Square, in a house once the residence of Newton, and still standing; but about 1789, on being appointed organist of Chelsea College, he removed to a suite of apartments in that building, where he spent the last twenty-five years of his life in the enjoyment of independence, and of a family, each individual of which (thanks to their parents' early care and example) had attained high distinction in some walk of literature or science. 'In all the relations of private life,' says one of his biographers, 'his character was exemplary, and his happiness such as that character deserved and honoured. His manners were peculiarly easy, spirited and gentlemanlike; he possessed all the suavity of the Chesterfield school without its stiffness—all its graces, unalloyed by its laxity of moral principle.' At length, full of years, and rich in all that should accompany old age, he breathed his last on April 12, 1814, at Chelsea College. His remains were deposited, on the 20th of the same month, in the burial-ground of that institution, attended by his own family (of which he lived to see the fourth generation), the chief officers of the college, and many others of rank and talent.

His intelligent and expressive face has been preserved by Reynolds, in a fine portrait, engraved by Bartolozzi, and Barry has introduced him in his large picture at the Society of Arts.

As a composer Dr. Burney's principal works, in addition to those already mentioned, are 'Sonatas for two Violins and a Base,' two sets; 'Six Cornet Pieces with Introduction and Fugue for the Organ'; 'Twelve Canzonetti a due voci in canone, poesie dell' abate Metastasio'; 'Six Duets for German Flutes'; 'Six Concertos for Violin, etc. in eight parts'; 'Two Sonatas for Pianoforte, Violin and Violoncello'; and 'Six Harpsichord Lessons.' [ E. F. R. ]

[App. pp. 571–2 "Add that [H]e wrote the music for Thomson's 'Alfred,' produced at Drury Lane, March 30, 1745, and that in 1747 he published six sonatas for two violins and bass. Shortly afterwards Fulke Greville paid Arne £200 to cancel his articles, and took Burney to live with him. In 1749 he married Miss Esther Sleep, who died in 1761. Eight years after her death he married Mrs. Stephen Allen of Lynn. In 1759 he wrote an Ode for St. Cecilia's Day, which was performed at Ranelagh Gardens. In 1806 Fox gave him a pension of £300, and in the following year he had a paralytic stroke. His appointment to Chelsea Hospital was given him by Burke in 1783.

The following is a catalogue of the musical extracts in his 'History of Music':—

Vol. 1. contains no musical example of consequence.

[ M. ]

BURROWES,, born in London, April 23, 1787, was a pupil of William Horsley. He first made himself known as a composer by an overture and several vocal pieces with orchestral accompaniments, and afterwards by an overture produced at the concerts of the Philharmonic Society, of which he was one of the original members. He soon however abandoned these pursuits for the less distinguished but more profitable one of composing and arranging for the pianoforte. Burrowes was the author of 'The Thorough Bass Primer' and 'The Pianoforte Primer,' both which have passed through many editions, and are still in request. He was also the composer of some ballads and many pianoforte pieces. For nearly forty years he held the situation of organist of St. James's Church, Piccadilly. He died March 31, 1852. [ W. H. H. ]

BURTON,, a cathedral musician in the time of Henry VIII, some of whose compositions are still preserved in the Music School at Oxford. [ W. H. H. ]

BURTON,, a native of Yorkshire, born 1730, was a pupil of John Keeble, the theorist. He became one of the first harpsichord players of his time, particularly as respects expression. He died in 1785. [ W. H. H. ]

BUSBY,, Mus. Doc., born in Westminster, 1755 [App. p.571 "December"]. At the age of fourteen he was articled to Battishill; he also studied languages, became a good classical scholar, and for several years was connected with the press as reporter. [App. p.571 "In the summer of 1769 he sang at Vauxhall at a salary of ten guineas a week, and about 1786 was elected organist of St. Mary's, Newington."] He was successively organist at St. Mary's, Newington, and St. Mary Woolnoth, Lombard Street. In 1799 he produced an oratorio called 'The Prophecy,' which met with considerable success. [App. p.571 "The oratorio called 'The Prophecy' had been written much earlier than 1799; it was a setting of Pope's 'Messiah.'"] Encouraged by this he wrote an 'Ode to British Genius'; an 'Ode to St. Cecilia's Day' (by Pope); 'Comala' (from Ossian); and the oratorio of 'Britannia.' In 1801 he took his degree as Mus. Doc. at Cambridge, having previously enjoyed that of LL.D. He next [App. p.571 "had previously. 'Joanna' was produced at Covent Garden in January 1800"] composed the music to 'Joanna,' a five-act romance by Cumberland, and subsequently gained fame by his music to 'A Tale of Mystery,' and 'Rugantino, or the Bravo of Venice'—the first melodramatic music heard in this country. He died in April [App. p.571 "on May 28"], 1838. Busby was a man of great industry, and, besides the works enumerated, wrote and published the following:—'The Day [App. p.571 "Age"] of Genius,' a satire, 1786; 'A Dictionary of Music,' 1786—a work which went through many editions, and is still in print; 'The Divine Harmonist,' 1788; 'Melodia Britannica,' 1790; 'The Monthly Musical Journal' (4 numbers), 1801; 'Lucretiua,' translated from the Latin, 2 vols. 4to., 1813; 'A Grammar of Music,' 1818; 'A History of Music' (compiled from Burney and Hawkins), 2 vols. 8vo., 1819; 'Concert-Room and Orchestra Anecdotes,' 3 vols. 12mo., 1825; 'A Musical Manual, or Technical Directory,' 1828. (Dict. of Living Authors, 1816; Busby, Hist. of Music; Private Sources.) [ E. F. R. ]

BUSNOIS, a Belgian musician in the latter part of the 15th century, who with Ockenheim and a few others represent the Netherland school immediately preceding Josquin des Prés. The date and place of his birth are unknown, but he was without doubt educated and passed the greater part of his life in Belgium. In 1476 he was appointed one of the chapel singers of 