Charles Burney, The Present State of Music in France and Italy

Burney describes his meeting with Corilla and mentions her musical talent as well as her skill in poetic improvisation.

Performer Name:
Corilla
Performance Venue:
Florence
Performance Date:
1770
Author:
Burney, Charles
Date Written:
 
Language:
English
Publication Title:
The Present State of Music in France and Italy: or, The Journal of a Tour through those Countries, Undertaken to Collect Materials for a General History of Music
Article Title:
 
Page Numbers:
259-260
Additional Info:
 
Publisher:
Beckett
Place of Publication:
London
Date Published:
1773

Text:

[259] Tuesday [September] 11. At another great accademia, at the house of Signor Domenico Baldigiani, I this evening met with the famous Improvvisatrice, Signora Madalena Morelli, commonly called La Corilla, who is likewise a scholar of Signor Nardini, on the violin; and afterwards I was frequently at her house.* Besides [260] her wonderful talent of speaking verses extempore upon any given subject, and being able to play a ripieno part, on the violin, in concert, she sings with a great deal of expression, and has a considerable share of execution.

* She has, almost every evening, a conversazione, or assembly, which is much frequented by the foreigners, and men of letters, at Florence.

Notes:

 
Collected by:
AE