Evidence from diaries and correspondence shows how 44 individual listeners experienced music in Britain during the years c. 1780–1830. The individuals were not united by social class, but each of them had the financial resources to gain access to operas, concerts and other performances enjoyed by the wealthiest in society. Crucial to an understanding of these listeners’ reactions to music is an evaluation of their personal documents, which demonstrates how their evidence is shaped by genre, readership and a variety of cultural factors. Their descriptions of performances are used to show how London audiences, characterized in general by noise and commotion, contained a wide variety of listeners, ranging from those who appear to have attended largely for social reasons to those who reacted deeply to the music they heard. The evidence shows that those who listened intensely found greater satisfaction in more exclusive, private performances. It also shows that some listeners were deeply moved by what they heard, sometimes expressing their emotions through tears, in keeping with the culture of sensibility which thrived throughout the period. Other themes that emerge from the evidence include the role played by reminiscence in intensifying listeners’ listening, and the strong reactions that were often elicited by the experience of novelty or otherness. Some listeners are shown to have had different reactions to music according to the social context in which it was heard or the repertoire that was performed.

中文翻译：

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英国听众 C. 1780–1830

来自日记和信件的证据显示了 44 位个人听众在这些年里是如何在英国体验音乐的。1780-1830 年。这些人并没有被社会阶层团结在一起，但他们每个人都有财力去观看社会上最富有的人所享受的歌剧、音乐会和其他表演。了解这些听众对音乐的反应的关键是评估他们的个人文件，这表明他们的证据是如何受到流派、读者群和各种文化因素的影响的。他们对表演的描述被用来展示伦敦的观众，通常以噪音和骚动为特征，包含了各种各样的听众，从那些似乎主要出于社会原因参加的人到对他们听到的音乐反应深刻的人。有证据表明，那些认真聆听的人在更独特、更私密的表演中获得了更大的满足感。这也表明，一些听众被他们听到的东西深深打动，有时用眼泪来表达他们的情绪，这与整个时期盛行的感性文化保持一致。从证据中出现的其他主题包括回忆在加强听众聆听中所起的作用，以及经常由新奇或其他体验引起的强烈反应。根据听到音乐的社会背景或演奏的曲目，一些听众对音乐有不同的反应。有时会用眼泪表达自己的情感，这与整个时期盛行的感性文化保持一致。从证据中出现的其他主题包括回忆在加强听众聆听中所起的作用，以及经常由新奇或其他体验引起的强烈反应。根据听到音乐的社会背景或演奏的曲目，一些听众对音乐有不同的反应。有时会用眼泪表达自己的情感，这与整个时期盛行的感性文化保持一致。从证据中出现的其他主题包括回忆在加强听众聆听中所起的作用，以及经常由新奇或其他体验引起的强烈反应。根据听到音乐的社会背景或演奏的曲目，一些听众对音乐有不同的反应。