Charles Avison's Essay on Musical Expression, first published in
1752, is a major contribution to the debate on musical aesthetics
which developed in the course of the 18th century. Considered by
Charles Burney as the first essay devoted to 'musical criticism'
proper, it established the primary importance of 'expression' and
reconsidered the relative importance of harmony and melody.
Immediately after its publication it was followed by William
Hayes's Remarks (1753), to which Avison himself retorted in his
Reply. Taken together these three texts offer a fascinating insight
into the debate that raged in the 18th century between the
promoters of the so-called 'ancient music' (such as Hayes) and the
more 'modern' musicians. Beyond matters of taste, what was at stake
in Avison's theoretical contribution was the assertion that the
individual's response to music ultimately mattered more than the
dry rules established by professional musicians. Avison also wrote
several prefaces to the published editions of his own musical
compositions. This volume reprints these prefaces and
advertisements together with his Essay to provide an interesting
view of eighteenth-century conceptions of composition and
performance, and a complete survey of Avison's theory of music.
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