Charles Burney

The Present State of Music in France and Italy (2nd, corrected edition)

London: T. Becket and Co., 1773

Rome

chapel, for voice and high finishing; Sig-
nor Mazzanti for taste and knowledge of
music; La Bicchelli, commonly called
the Miniatrice*, for brilliancy and va-
riety of stile; and the eldest daughter of
the celebrated painter Cavalier Battoni,
a dilettante, and scholar of Signor Santa-
relli, for art where no art appears, and
for that elegant simplicity, and truly pa-
thetic expression, which cannot be de-
fined.

The best violin performers were, Sig-
nor Celestini, whom I before mentioned;
Signor Niccolai, a worthy scholar of Tar-
tini; and Signor Ruma, a young man
whom I frequently heard at Signor Cris-
pi's concerts, who plays with great fa-
cility and neatness.

The Abate Rossi is reckoned the neat-
est harpsichord player at Rome; and
Signor Crispi, without pretension, is a
good performer on that instrument. But,