The Ingenious Mr. Avison

Charles Avison (1709-1770) was a remarkable Tyneside musician who became England's most important 18th-century concerto composer. Now the first full-length biography tells the talented composer's story, and how, through enterprise and determination, he made Newcastle upon Tyne England's greatest provincial music center of the time. The Ingenious Mr. Avison explores a world of fashionable concerts, money-making, rivalry, wigs, waistcoats, dancing, love affairs, and family tragedy. This well-researched survey also includes details of Avison's published works, a discography, and extensive notes. It is essential reading for students of English music and an informative and entertaining window onto provincial musical life in the 18th century.