Comic · Routledge

The Musical World of Charles Avison

Melodic Charm and the Powers of Harmony

"Charles Avison spent most of his life in the northern town of Newcastle upon Tyne, situated around 280 miles from the city of London, yet he went on to have a marked impact on the musical life of Britain during the second half of the eighteenth century. His concertos became part of the national concert repertory and were still performed long after his death in 1770. Attacked in print by the Oxford academic, William Hayes, the ensuing debate popularised Avison's music, from which the composer, in his own words, "reaped the Benefit of a considerable Sale." This book, the first to look at Avison's music in depth, examines the influences on Avison and the circumstances around the composition of his music. It draws heavily upon his important treatise, An Essay on Musical Expression, and other writings, to look at how closely he adheres to his musical aesthetics. This study also challenges the accepted view that Avison's music remained backwards looking, revealing that Avison was not only aware of the latest developments in compositional technique, but that he was a composer of considerable ability"--