Henry Purcell

Henry Purcell

Source: Wikipedia

Born in 10 Sep 1659 in Westminster, London, Henry Purcell was England's major composer of the baroque, albeit Henry and William Lawes implemented baroque methods along their earlier paths half a century afore. Due largely to the Reformation and situations peculiar to being an island something segregated from continental Europe, music in England rather kept its own pace. While early baroque instrumentation was being developed and pursued in Italy the Brits preferred song like airs and, especially, the madrigal. Albeit Brits kept pace with the rest of Europe in matters of love and hate or sex and war — which write the history of humankind along with religion (convenient conventional face of the spiritual), economics and technology — they far exceeded the rest of Europe in literacy of the common Joe. The printing press that had been invented by Guttenberg in Germany in the 15th century didn't translate into concern that the common people know how to read and write until Elizabeth I (1558-1603) by whose end of reign nearly everyone in England was literate. England also exceeded the status quo of continental Europe in Purcell, a prolific composer of anthems, hymns, catches, odes, songs, suites, movements (sections), fantasies (free form) and sonatas in addition to not a little else. "Z" numbers for Purcell's works are per Franklin Zimmerman's thematic 'An Analytical Catalogue of His Music' published by St. Martin's Press in 1963. See also Zimmernan's 'His Life and Times' (University of Pennsylvania Press 1983) and 'A Guide to Research (Garland 1989). (Z directories in references below.)

Purcell's father (Henry Sr.) was a musician, indeed, a gentleman of the Chapel Royal of King Charles II (1630-85). His father dying in 1664, Purcell was entered into the care of an uncle, also a gentleman, who had Purcell admitted as a chorister. He thereat began to study music and is thought to have begun composing at about age nine. In 1673 Purcell became assistant to an organ builder. He had studied under multiple music teachers, one of them John Blow, but now he was attending Westminster School, such that he became a copyist at Westminster Abbey in 1676. In 1679 he replaced Blow as organist at Westminster Abbey, five of his songs appearing the same year in a volume of John Playford's 'Choice Ayres, Songs, and Dialogues' aka 'Choice Ayres and Songs to Sing to the Theorbo-lute or Bass-viol' published in five books from 1676 to 1684.

In 1680 Purcell completed 'Fantasias and In nomines' found in his manuscript of autographs, Add MS 30930, housed in London. In nomines are so called in reference to "in nomine Domini" ("In the name of the Lord") in the phrasing of a mass by John Taverner sometime before 1530. Though that section was written for for six voices it quickly became popular as an instrumental, leading to in nomine consorts consisting of four or five instruments, typically viols.

'Fantasias and In nomines'   Z 732-747   Henry Purcell

Add MS 30930 (autographs)   London   c 1680

14 fantasies and 2 in nomines for 2 to 7 viols w alto and bass

Concentus Musicus Wien / Nikolaus Harnoncourt

Purcell's '12 Sonatas of Three Parts' and '10 Sonatas in Four Parts' were probably written circa 1680, the same year as 'Fantasias and In nomines'. '12 Sonatas of Three Parts' was published in 1683 with a dedication to King Charles II. '10 Sonatas in Four Parts' may have quickly followed but wasn't published until after Purcell's death.

'Trio Sonata in G minor'   No.1 of '12 Sonatas of Three Parts'   Henry Purcell

Z 790 of Z 790-801   c 1680 pub 1683

London Baroque

'10 Sonatas in Four Parts'    Z 802-811   Henry Purcell

c 1680 pub posthumously in 1697

London Baroque

Appointed to the Chapel Royal as organist in 1682, it was in that capacity that most his works were created until his death, thus finding him in the employ of not only Charles II but James II, William III and finally Queen Mary. Purcell published '12 Sonatas of III Parts' in 1683, dedicated to Charles II. His first ode to St. Cecilia (patron saint of music) was 'Hail! Bright Cecilia' in 1692 for a text by Nicholas Brady. This is Z 328 performed on 22 September 1692 at Stationers' Hall. Another work in honor of St. Cecilia was commissioned by the London Musical Society and performed in London on St. Cecilia's Day held annually on 22 November 1683. This was 'Welcome to All the Pleasures' published in 1684 [score] and catalogued as Z 339, one of 24 odes and welcome songs per Z 320-344.

'Welcome to All the Pleasures'   Z 339   Welcome song by Henry Purcell

Premiere: Saint Cecilia's Day 22 November 1683

For SSATB / violins / basso continuo   Libretto: Christopher Fishburn

Taverner Consort and Players / Andrew Parrott

Soprano: Emily van Evera   Tenor: John Mark Ainsley / Charles Daniels   Bass: David Thomas

Purcell's initial opera was a tragedy titled 'Dido and Aeneas' which premiered in London on an uncertain date in 1689 Josias Priest's Girls' School. Josias Priest was a dancer, dance master and choreographer. With a libretto by Nahum Tate from the 'Aeneid' of Virgil (70 BC-19 BC), 'Dido and Aeneas' was modeled after John Blow's earlier opera of 1693, 'Venus and Adonis'. Both Blow's and Purcell's operas are identified by some as masques, albeit the 'New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians' credits Blow's work as the first English opera. If Purcell's 'Dido and Aeneas' was actually a masque it is nevertheless catalogued as an opera by Zimmerman according to all catalogues in references below, and considered by some to be the first English opera if Blow's 'Venus and Adonis' isn't. Zimmerman's catalogue from 'Dido and Aeneas' Z 626 through 'Timon of Athens' Z 632 are categorized as either opera, semi-opera or masque at references below. The semi-opera is more a play with music than full-scale musical opera. See also semi-opera and masque at Wikipedia Français. It's a little tardy any way you look at them if one consider that the first opera written by Jacopo Peri premiered in Italy nigh a century earlier in 1598. High literacy aside, in some things English she'll be coming 'round the mountain, when she comes.

'Dido and Aeneas'   Z 626   Opera by Henry Purcell

Premiere: Josias Priest's Girls' School in London 1689

Libretto: Nahum Tate from Virgil's 'Aeneid'

University of Oklahoma School of Music 2007

Purcell's sacred work for St. Cecilia's Day, 'Te Deum and Jubilate in D', was written as a setting for morning service premiering at St Bride’s Church on 22 November 1694. Its publication in 1697 was dedicated to the Right Reverend Father in God, Lord Bishop Nathaniel of Durham. This was composed for 6 voice SSAATB and an orchestra including 2 violins and 2 trumpets.

'Te Deum Laudamus and Jubilate Deo'   Part I   Z 232   Church setting by Henry Purcell

Premiere: St. Cecelia's Day 22 Nov 1694 at St Bride’s Church in London

The English Concert / Trevor Pinnock

Choir of Christ Church Cathedral Oxford

'Te Deum Laudamus and Jubilate Deo'   Part II   Z 232   Church setting by Henry Purcell

Premiere: St. Cecilia's Day 22 Nov 1694 at St Bride’s Church in London

The English Concert / Trevor Pinnock

Choir of Christ Church Cathedral Oxford

Other operatic works after his first, 'Dido and Aeneas', had been Purcell's semi-operas, 'Dioclesian' (1690), 'King Arthur' (1691) and 'The Fairy-Queen' after Shakespeare (1692). Purcell died on 21 November 1695 and was buried in Westminster Abbey, leaving his semi-opera, 'The Indian Queen', unfinished [refs below]. This was a setting commissioned by actor and theatre manager, Thomas Betterton, for the 1664 play, 'The Indian Queen', by Dryden and Howard, an intrigue between lovers surrounding the warrior, Montezuma, placed during an imaginary war between the Incas of Peru and the Aztecs of Mexico. Purcell completed the music for only the Prologue, Act II and Act III of this work which was probably performed circa May 1695 at the Theatre Royal in London so far as finished by then, a semi-opera rather than opera since it may well have been intended as more a drama than musical spectacle excepting Purcell's contributions. Act II follows the Prologue as there is no music for Act I, again, perhaps more to purpose than only not begun yet. Rather than setting Dryden and Howard's Act V, Purcell's brother, Daniel, substituted a masque only peripherally related in theme. This was Daniel's debut to the world of theatre. What several other pieces Purcell had begun toward this work were completed anonymously (at least to myself), if not by Daniel (as commented in a couple references). Peter Sellars released a version of 'The Indian Queen' in 2015 which also departs from the original Dryden and Howard play [Bachtrack / Opera News].

'The Indian Queen'   Z 630   Semi-opera by Henry Purcell

Premiere of whatever phase of completion at the Theatre Royal in London 1695

Setting for 'The Indian Queen' by Dryden & Howard 1664

Completed by Henry Purcell: Prologue / Act II / Act III

Completed by Daniel Purcell: 'The Masque of Hymen'

Academy of Ancient Music / Christopher Hogwood

Upon Purcell's passing his widow, Frances, had numerous of his works published including 'A Collection of Ayres' composed for theatre and '10 Sonatas in Four Parts' (above) in 1697 as well as collections of songs in Books I and II of 'Orpheus Britannicus' in 1698 and 1702.