An English composer and musicographer who has had a lasting influence on the history of music. He was an organist and a private music instructor as well. He was taught by Baker and later Arne. Burney made the acquaintance of both Handel and Haydn and wrote a number of diverse treatises concerning such things as comets, music in Germany and the Netherlands, a general history of music, the state of music in France and Italy and articles that he was asked to write for "Ree's Cyclopaedia". Many of his pieces were composed for his teaching, and he probably was the first to compose music for two players at one keyboard given these responsibilities. The genres of his compositions included sonatas, concertos, preludes, fugues, duets, songs and anthems. ~ Keith Johnson, Rovi