Beschreibung:

BURNEY, FRANCES. Autograph letter signed ("FdA," for Frances d'Arblay, in text) to her niece Frances Phillips Raper in Chelsea, [London, probably June 1823], 3 pages, 18mo, address in Burney's hand on fourth page, inch tear in first leaf neatly mended, corner of second leaf chipped with loss of two words : "Amiable & like yourself, my dearest Fanny, is this good natured empressement for si peude chose -- beautiful , nevertheless, I shall think it when you wear it, I doubt not -- So, I conjecture , will Mr. Raper. Embellish it, therefore, de la sorte to make it merit such an epithet from your truly affcte FdA...Alex [her son Alexander] preached again yesterday at St. Paul's. I have heard no account, whether well or ill -- I heard him, indeed, myself -- but you would rather ask any other person's opinion..."--BURNEY, CHARLES (musician and author, father of Frances Burney). Autograph letter signed ("Chas. Burney") to Joseph C[ooper] Walker (Irish antiquary -- see DNB) at 15 Eccles Street, Dublin (Leopold and Molly Bloom would be at 7 Eccles Street), Chelsea College, 7 July 1796, 2 1/2 pages, 4to, gilt edges, integral address leaf (small seal tear), red watered-silk folding case (worn) . Nearly entirely concerned with Burney's just-published book on Metastasio (Italian poet and writer of operas), but containing a paragraph on his novelist daughter: "My daughter Mm. D'Arblay's Camilla will be out in a few days. I have as yet seen only the 2 first Chapters of the first Vol. but these make me hope that she will not lose the credit which her former works have been so fortunate, by the indulgence of the public, to acquire, by this new effort..."; Autograph letter signed ("C.B.") to Lady Banks (wife of Sir Joseph), Chelsea College, 26 March 1808, 2 1/2 pages, 4to, gilt edges, seal tear in blank area of second leaf, red watered-silk folding case (slightly worn). Mostly regarding the music of the Italian composer Vincanzo Righini (Burney mentions Clementi in so doing), whom Burney is presenting with this letter to Lady Banks: "...these ariettini [by Righini]...having many stanzas sung to the same melody and having no notes in sight but to the first verse, the rest can only be sung by those who know the words by heart. But the placing all the words under the same melody, seems to me a new and ingenious contrivance which I do not remember to have seen before: I am not, however, sure that the poetry is worthy of the melodies into which it is translated -- but it is Italian; and... do, re, mi, fa ; or mi fam sol, la, sung with taste and expression gives more pleasure to real judges of vocal excellence when breathed by a naturally sweet toned voice, 'highly cultivated,' than the divine poetry of Dryden, Pope or Gray, never meant to be simply sung..." With typed transcripts. (Milne) (3)