Charles Burney

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

London: T. Becket and Co., 1773

Naples

so those of Naples have long enjoyed the
reputation of being the first contrapun-
tists, or composers, in Europe.

Wednesday 17. This afternoon I went
to hear a musical performance at the
church of the Franciscans, where the
three Conservatorios were to furnish
music and musicians for a great festival
of eight successive days, morning and
evening*. This is a large handsome
church, but too much ornamented. The
architecture seems to be good, but it is
so be-gilt that it almost blinded me to
look at it; and in the few interstitial
parts where there is no gold, tawdry
flowers are painted in abundance.

The band was numerous, consisting
of above a hundred voices and instru-