Charles Burney

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

London: T. Becket and Co., 1773

Rome

to say the truth, I have neither met with
a great player on the harpsichord, nor an
original composer for it throughout Italy*.
There is no accounting for this but by
the little use which is made of that in-
strument there, except to accompany the
voice. It is at present so much neglected
both by the maker and player, that it is
difficult to say whether the instruments
themselves, or the performers are the
worst.

To persons accustomed to English harp-
sichords, all the keyed instruments on the
continent appear to great disadvantage.
Throughout Italy they have generally
little octave spinnets to accompany sing-
ing, in private houses, sometimes in a
triangular form, but more frequently in
the shape of our old virginals; of which
the keys are so noisy, and the tone is so
feeble, that more wood is heard than