Listening to Melvyn Bragg's programme on Radio 4 this morning, I was surprised to hear that in Germany in the early part of the 19th century England (as they referred to Britain those days) had a reputation of being backward culturally, and specifically with respect to musical culture. They used to refer to it as the "Land ohne Musick" or the "Land without Music".

Now, we know that wasn't entirely true, or else we would have no songs to sing that hail from that period, or were transmitted during that period. But why should there be such an impression given abroad? Do people have any knowledge of this, and its causes?