Henry Purcell
As England's greatest composer of the Baroque, Henry Purcell was dubbed the "Orpheus Britannicus" for his ability to combine pungent English counterpoint with expressive, flexible, and dramatic word settings. While he did write instrumental music, including the important viol fantasias, the vast majority of his output was in the vocal/choral realm. His only opera, Dido and Aeneas, divulged his sheer mastery in the handling of the work's vast expressive canvas, which included lively dance numbers, passionate arias and rollicking choruses. Purcell also wrote much incidental music for stage productions, including that for Dryden's King Arthur. His church music includes many anthems, devotional songs, and other sacred works, but few items for Anglican services.
Purcell was born in 1659 to Henry Purcell, master of choristers at Westminster Abbey, and his wife Elizabeth. When he was five, his father died, forcing his mother to resettle the family of six children into a more modest house and lifestyle. In about 1668, Purcell became a chorister in the Chapel Royal, studying under chorus master Henry Cooke. He also took keyboard lessons from Christopher Gibbons, son of the composer Orlando Gibbons, and it is likely that he studied with John Blow and Matthew Locke. In 1673, Purcell was appointed assistant to John Hingeston, the royal instrument keeper.
On September 10, 1677, Purcell was given the Court position of composer-in-ordinary for the violins. It is believed that many of his church works date from this time. Purcell, a great keyboard virtuoso by his late teens, received a second important post in 1679, this one succeeding Blow as organist at Westminster Abbey, a position he would retain all his life. That same year saw the publication of five of the young composer's songs in John Playford's Choice Ayres and Songs to Sing to the Theorbo-lute or Bass-viol. Around the same time, he began writing anthems with string accompaniment, completing over a dozen before 1685, and welcome songs. Purcell was appointed one of three organists at the Chapel Royal in the summer of 1682, his most prestigious post yet.
Purcell composed his first ode for St. Cecilia's Day in 1683. The following month, upon Hingeston's death, he was named royal instrument keeper while retaining his other posts. The composer remained quite prolific in the middle part of the decade, primarily producing music for royal occasions. In 1685 the new King, James II, introduced many changes at Court, one of which was to make Purcell the Court harpsichordist and Blow the Court composer. Near the end of 1687, Queen Mary's pregnancy was announced and Purcell was commissioned to compose an anthem with the text of Psalm 128, Blessed are they that fear the Lord. Many other of his anthems appeared in 1688, as did one of his more famous ones for church use, O sing unto the Lord.
With the ascension of William and Mary to the throne on April 11, 1689, Purcell retained his post as royal instrument keeper, and he, along with Blow and Alexander Damazene, shared the duties of Court composers. With his royal duties reduced, he was able to pursue other opportunities, including teaching and writing for other organizations. One of Purcell's greatest successes came in 1689 with the production of Dido and Aeneas. He then collaborated with John Dryden on King Arthur in 1691, and also composed the music for The Fairy-Queen (1692), based on Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream both productions also scoring triumphs. In the final year of his life Purcell remained exceedingly busy, writing much for the stage, including The Indian Queen, left incomplete at his death on November 21, 1695.
© Robert Cummings /TiVo
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Music for the Funeral of Queen Mary - March (Epic Brass Version)
Newsic, Henry Purcell, Mascoulisse Quartet
Classical - Released by BIG Music Classic on Oct 31, 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The History of Baroque Era Music (100 Famous Songs)
Classical - Released by Dream Collection on Apr 8, 2016
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Purcell: Verse Anthems
Edward Higginbottom, Choir of New College Oxford
Classical - Released by CRD Records on Jan 1, 2000
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From Rosy Bow'rs
Classical - Released by Albany Records on Jan 1, 1994
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Purcell: Dido and Aeneas
(Dame) Janet Baker, Raimund Herincx, Patricia Clark
Opera - Released by Past Classics on Jan 19, 2013
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Dido & Aeneas and A Midsummernight's Dream Suite
Classical - Released by Lyrichord Early Music Series on Jul 17, 2007
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Purcell: The Three & Four Part Fantazias
Classical - Released by Globe on Jan 1, 1995
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Purcell: Dido and Aeneas, Z. 626
Leningrad Chamber Orchestra, Evgeniya Gorokhovskaya, Nikolai Kaloshin
Opera - Released by Bomba-Piter (Manchester) on Jun 19, 2015
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Flagstad in Dido and Aeneas
Opera - Released by Prima Voce on Jan 1, 2008
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The Voice of Isobel Baillie
Vocal Music (Secular and Sacred) - Released by Heritage Records on Aug 11, 2014
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Carousel: Festive Baroque Music for Three Trumpets & Organ
La Réjouissance (Three Trumpets & Organ)
Classical - Released by OxRecs DIGITAL on Sep 9, 2011
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Nymphs and Shepherds Manchester School Children’s Choir
Manchester School Children’s Choir, Gertrude Riall
Classical - Released by The Digital Gramophone on Dec 9, 2014
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Music for the Funeral of Queen Mary - March (Epic Brass Version)
Newsic, Mascoulisse Quartet, Henry Purcell
Classical - Released by BIG Music Classic on Oct 31, 2023
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Homage to Queen Mary
Academy of the Begynhof, Amsterdam
Classical - Released by Globe on May 22, 2006
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Baroque Music
Classical - Released by Tuxedo Music on May 23, 2013
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Treaures Of The English Baroque
Classical - Released by CDklassisk on Oct 27, 2013
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Koning Arthur
Classical - Released by Challenge Classics on Sep 13, 2007
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Music for a While for viola and guitar
Henry Purcell, David Warin Solomon
Alternative & Indie - Released by dwschorale on Mar 16, 2019
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Henry Purcell: Dido and Aeneas
The Stuart Chamber Orchestra of London
Classical - Released by Period Records on Jul 9, 1951
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Classical Music Travel Guide: London
Classical - Released by Dream Collection on Jul 22, 2016
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Capriccio. Piano Works by Bach & Ravel
Irene Cantos, Johann Sebastian Bach, Maurice Ravel, Henry Purcell, Claude Debussy, Erik Satie
Classical - Released by Novus Promusica on Mar 12, 2024
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo