“A young Greek lady being brought from her own country, to Paris, some
years since, was, soon after her arrival in that city, carried to the
opera by some French ladies, supposing, as she had never heard any
European music, that she would be in raptures at it; but, contrary
to these expectations, she declared, that the singing only reminded
her of the hideous howlings of the Calmuc Tartars; and, as to the
machinery, which it was thought would afford her great amusement,
she declared her dislike of many parts of it, and was particularly
scandalized, by what she called, the impious and wicked imitation of
God’s thunder. Soon after this experiment, she went to Venice, where
another trial was made upon her uncorrupted ears, at an Italian opera,
in which the famous Gizziello sung; at whose performance she was quite
dissolved in pleasure, and was ever after passionately fond of Italian
music.”
_Dr. Burney’s Present State of Music._