Rauzzini's decision to focus a significant part of his artistic life in Bath during the decade of the 1780s was entirely logical. He had already become a part of the fabric of the city's musical life with the concerts he co-directed with Franz La Motte from 1777 until 1780. La Motte's death left the city without a star soloist to act as its musical leader. The elder Linley no longer was interested in directing concerts there, and Herschel was turning to astronomical pursuits. This put Rauzzini in a position to take sole leadership of the Bath concerts, a series that did not face the stiffcompetition that had plagued his concerts in London. While London might offer many attractions, it did not provide Rauzzini regular employment and financial security. Bath appears to have offered him improved prospects in this area, both as a teacher and a concert director, and it was possible for him to live in style rather more cheaply there than in London. The concert series would be crucial to his success in Bath, and for that he need to provide concerts that appealed to the audiences through the participation of famous soloists, but which still had artistic integrity and made a profit. Rauzzini was successful in all of these goals, except the last. For his financial security, he relied on private teaching, and he appears to have taught a large number of students in Bath.

The Development of Bath as a Social and Cultural Centre

The association of Bath with its famed hot springs stretches back into antiquity. Legend has it that the discovery of the healing powers of the mineral springs was made by Prince Bladud, the father of King Lear, in 860 BC. Bladud was ostracized when he developed leprosy and was reduced to a menial position as a swine herder. When his diseased swine were cured after swimming in the hot springs, Bladud followed suit and was cured as well. The legend of the healing properties grew, and people with various illnesses travelled to the area in the hope of being cured. Bath was largely a commercial town in the seventeenth century, however.