Musical History, Biography and Criticism,1 Volume 1 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1838 Excerpt: ...himself in expenses which his means could not bear. Burney insinuates, that his picture-dealing arose from sordid motives, instead of a love for the art; a charge which seems too lightly made. He says, that it is to be feared, that a propensity towards chicane and cunning determined Geminiani to try his hand at buying cheap, and selling dear, and playing off the other tricks of a picture-dealer. The truth rather seems to be, that he became a buyer and seller of pictures in the same way as many other dilettanti, who have not fortune enough to afford so expensive a pleasure, --bought expensive pictures because he took a fancy to them, and sold them, at a great loss, when necessity compelled him to part with them. In the distress which he thus brought upon himself, he was obliged, for the security of his person, to avail himself of the protection from arrest which the English nobility at that time had the privilege of extending to their servants. For this purpose, the earl of Essex was prevailed upon to enrol his name in the list of his domestics. One circumstance which occurred while his distresses were urgent, shows that he was very far from having a sordid mind. The place of master of the state music in Ireland having become vacant, the earl of Essex obtained a promise of it from Sir R. Walpole, and then told Geminiani that his troubles were at an end, as he was now sure of a comfortable provision for life. This was joyful news for poor Geminiani; but when he found that the office was not tenable by a Roman Catholic, he at once declined it; saying, that, however humble his pretensions might be to a religious character, yet he never would renounce the communion in which he had been baptized and brought up, for any considerations of temporal benefit. Geminiani..