Charles burney 1726 1814 was the foremost music historian of his day the general history his most famous work was published in four volumes between 1776 and 1789 and is still of great value today burney wanted to write something which would appeal to and inform the musician and the general reader research for the history was undertaken during two european tours in 1770 and 1772 consulting original sources and meeting the great musicians of the time the resultant work is engaging and e