Intended for the general reader, this two-volume work, first published in 1819, is a concise, popular interpretation of musical history.

1. State of music in England during the reign of Elizabeth; 2. State of music in England, during the reign of Elizabeth (cont.); 3. Italian music theorists of the sixteenth century; 4. State of the Roman, Venetian, Lombard, Neapolitan, Bologna, and Florentine schools of counterpoint, during the sixteenth century; 5. German theorists of the sixteenth century; 6. Eminent musicians in England, from the reign of Elizabeth to the Protectorate; 7. Progress and specimens of secular music in England, from the reign of Elizabeth to the Protectorate; 8. State of music in England, from the Protectorate to the time of Purcell; 9. Purcell; 10. General state of music, from the time of Purcell, to the middle of the last century; 11. Establishment of the opera and oratorio in Italy; 12. Progress of the lyric drama at Venice, Naples, Rome and in Germany and France, during the last century; 13. General view of the principal Italian and German composers and performers of the last century; 14. Handel; 15. Haydn and Mozart; 16. Establishment of the Italian opera in England, and its progress, previous to the middle of the last century; 17. State of the Italian opera in England, subsequent to the middle of the last century; 18. Arne and Arnold; 19. Boyce and Batishill; 20. General state of music, in England, from the beginning of the last century to the present time.