Venice-the 'incomparable city, the most beautiful queen, this paradise'-is how the Englishman Thomas Coryat describes the lagoon city that deeply impressed him on his trip to Europe in 1608. But in addition to the architecture, the canals, and the people from a wide variety of cultures, it was the music in particular that fascinated Coryat: 'It was so beautiful, so delightful, so unique, so admirable, so unsurpassable that it enchanted and amazed all the strangers.'