Create a new account

It's simple, and free.

Henry Purcell (1659-1695)

Henry Purcell (1659-1695) was one of the greatest English composers. In a very short lifetime he managed to write a large amount of music in various genres, much of which is still played and admired today. But Purcell's greatest talent was in the composition of vocal works and English opera had not yet developed sufficiently in Purcell's lifetime to give him the scope his talent required. Rather than writing full-scale operas Purcell wrote scores for a hybrid form of dramas with music and incidental music for a great number of plays and masques. Despite the failure to find a perfect match between his talent and the complementary musical form, Purcell wrote theatrical music of great dramatic power and works of other types, such as those for keyboard, that were both charming and brilliant.

It is assumed from later evidence that Purcell was born in 1659. The following year the restoration of the monarchy brought Charles II to the throne and Purcell's father Henry was among the musicians who benefited from the return of the royal music, "the nation's largest musical institutions," which had been disbanded at the outbreak of the Civil War in 1642. Purcell died in 1664 and the young Henry was raised by his paternal uncle Thomas. Thomas and Henry were active office seekers and Thomas held no fewer than seven royal posts, ranging from Groom of the Robes to being one of the composers for the newly-instituted Twenty-four Violins--a royal ensemble on call for the provision of background music and impromptu dances.

The young Henry accordingly became a choirboy in the Chapel Royal, probably in the year 1668 or 1669, and began his musical education. The instruction provided by the Chapel establishment included lessons on various instruments (bass viol, lute, virginals, organ, and others) as well as instruction in singing and theory. The leading composers of the time also provided instruction in composition. In 1673, after Purcel...

Page 1 of 9 Next >

More on Henry Purcell (1659-1695)...

Loading...
APA     MLA     Chicago
Henry Purcell (1659-1695). (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 10:56, March 29, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1708988.html