Find More Answers. His compositions include church music, instrumental music, music for the theatre, even popular drinking songs. Asked by Wiki User. In 1687, he resumed his connection with the theatre by furnishing the music for John Dryden's tragedy Tyrannick Love. On September 10, 1677, Purcell was given the Court position of composer-in-ordinary for the violins. Many musicians think he is the greatest English composer of all times. Henry was a chorister in the Chapel Royal until his voice broke in 1673 when he became assistant to the organ-builder John Hingston, who held the post of keeper of wind instruments to the King. [2] The Indian Queen was adapted from a tragedy by Dryden and Sir Robert Howard. His son Edward was also a musician, as was Edward’s son Edward Henry (died 1765). Westrup, J. His father was a gentleman of the Chapel Royal, in which musicians for the royal service were trained, and the son received his earliest education there as a chorister. A fatal illness prevented him from finishing the music for the operatic version of John Dryden and Sir Robert Howard’s verse tragedy The Indian Queen (1664), which was completed after his death by his brother Daniel (d. 1717). From that time until his death, he was constantly employed in writing music for the public theatres. Pieces listed according to the Zimmerman catalogue. Twelve of these were published in 1683, with a dedication to Charles II, and a further nine, together with a chaconne for the same combination, were issued by his widow in 1697. Purcell. Henry Purcell's Dido and Aeneas: A Strategy for Historically-Informed Role-Allocation in the Twenty-First Century. John Gostling, then at Canterbury, but afterwards a gentleman of His Majesty's Chapel. In 1876 a Purcell Society was founded, which published new editions of his works. Professor of Music, University of Oxford, 1946–71; Fellow of Wadham College, Oxford, 1947–71. [40], Purcell's works have been catalogued by Franklin Zimmerman, who gave them a number preceded by Z. Daniel Purcell,[2] the youngest of the brothers, was also a prolific composer who wrote the music for much of the final act of The Indian Queen after his brother Henry's death. [26], He composed an anthem and two elegies for Queen Mary II's funeral, his Funeral Sentences and Music for the Funeral of Queen Mary. Born in 1659, Henry Purcell was the finest and most original composer of his day. [12] It is occasionally considered the first genuine English opera, though that title is usually given to Blow's Venus and Adonis: as in Blow's work, the action does not progress in spoken dialogue but in Italian-style recitative. The dates of very few of these sacred compositions are known; perhaps the most notable example is the anthem They that go down to the sea in ships. Henry Purcell served as a chorister in the Chapel Royal till 1673. These productions included some that gave scope for more than merely incidental music—notably music for Dioclesian (1690), adapted by Thomas Betterton from the tragedy The Prophetess, by John Fletcher and Philip Massinger; for King Arthur (1691), by John Dryden, designed from the first as an entertainment with music; and for The Fairy Queen (1692), an anonymous adaptation of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, in which the texts set to music are all interpolations. (London: J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd., 1975), 82–83. Music for the church, stage and important royal occasions as well as many shorter pieces 4 This piece is incidental music. This is a version by composer Dario Marianelli of Purcell's Abdelazar theme. In this year, Purcell also composed a march and passepied called Quick-step, which became so popular that Lord Wharton adapted the latter to the fatal verses of Lillibullero; and in or before January 1688, Purcell composed his anthem Blessed are they that fear the Lord by the express command of the King. Then his voice broke and he was made an assistant to the organ-builder John Hingston. He was born in 1659 in Westminster, London; he died 21 November 21 1695, Westminster. [36] More recently, the English poet Gerard Manley Hopkins wrote a famous sonnet entitled simply "Henry Purcell", with a headnote reading: "The poet wishes well to the divine genius of Purcell and praises him that, whereas other musicians have given utterance to the moods of man's mind, he has, beyond that, uttered in notes the very make and species of man as created both in him and in all men generally. A spoken play when it was first written by John Dryden, King Arthur became a musical work in 1691 once Dryden asked Henry Purcell to set crucial scenes. Zimmerman, Franklin. (Portland, Oregon: Amadeus Press, 1995), 55. As far as we know it was first performed in 1689, at a girl's school in Chelsea, London, run by a Mr Josias Priest, who was a dancing master. [29] Purcell's four-part sonatas were issued in 1697. (London: J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd., 1975), 86. In all these branches of composition he showed an obvious admiration for the past combined with a willingness to learn from the present, particularly from his contemporaries in Italy. [14] His eldest son was born in this same year, but he was short-lived. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. A further appointment as one of the three organists of the Chapel Royal followed in 1682. (London: J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd., 1975), 77. Burden, Michael. In 2013, the Pet Shop Boys released their single "Love Is a Bourgeois Construct" incorporating one of the same ground basses from King Arthur used by Nyman in his Draughtsman's Contract score. Zimmerman, Franklin. ELIZABETH HOLLAND UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD. Was Mozart murdered? We know of six children, three of whom survived into adulthood. Occupation: English organist and Baroque composer of secular and sacred music. [38], Purcell is honoured together with Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel with a feast day on the liturgical calendar of the Episcopal Church (USA) on 28 July. In Nomine à6, Z.746 for Treble, Tenor & Bass Viols, In Nomine à7, Z.747 for Treble, Tenor & Bass Viols, Funeral Sentences and Music for the Funeral of Queen Mary, The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, liturgical calendar of the Episcopal Church (USA), "Did Purcell Write a Trumpet Voluntary?–1", "Jethro Tull Press: Rolling Stone, 30 August 1973", "Henry Purcell – an overview of the classical composer", "Chasing Sheep is Best Left to Shepherds (The Draughtsman's Contract) (1982)", "Love Is A Bourgeois Construct by Pet Shop Boys", "The Delicate Intensity of Olivia Chaney", International Music Score Library Project, Short biography, audio samples and images of Purcell, National Trust catalogue entry for manuscript music, copied by, Select digitized images from Old English Songs, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Henry_Purcell&oldid=1019772924, People educated at Westminster School, London, Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica with Wikisource reference, Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from December 2009, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2020, Articles with Encyclopædia Britannica links, Articles with International Music Score Library Project links, Wikipedia articles with BIBSYS identifiers, Wikipedia articles with CANTIC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with CINII identifiers, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz identifiers, Wikipedia articles with PLWABN identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SELIBR identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SNAC-ID identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with Trove identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Holman, Peter and Robert Thompson. He is generally considered to be one of the greatest English composers; no later native-born English composer approached his fame until Edward Elgar, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Gustav Holst, William Walton and Benjamin Britten in the 20th century. [2] The quantity of his instrumental chamber music is minimal after his early career, and his keyboard music consists of an even more minimal number of harpsichord suites and organ pieces. [14] In 1690 he composed a setting of the birthday ode for Queen Mary, Arise, my muse[20] and four years later wrote one of his most elaborate, important and magnificent works – a setting for another birthday ode for the Queen, written by Nahum Tate, entitled Come Ye Sons of Art.[21]. [16][17] For some years after this, he was busy in the production of sacred music, odes addressed to the king and royal family, and other similar works. [41], A Purcell Club was founded in London in 1836 for promoting the performance of his music but was dissolved in 1863. Henry Purcell 1659–1695 His Life and Times. Author of. Answer. Henry Purcell (/ˈpɜːrsəl, pərˈsɛl/;[1] c. 10 September 1659[Note 1] – 21 November 1695[2]) was an English composer. (New York City: St. Martin's Press Inc., 1967), 267. [5] After Humfrey's death, Purcell continued his studies under Dr John Blow. Henry Purcell was an English composer. The so-called Purcell's Trumpet Voluntary was in fact written around 1700 by a British composer named Jeremiah Clarke as the Prince of Denmark's March. His father was a leading musician in London, a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal, and from 1661 was Master of the Choristers at Westminster Abbey. A. Purcell. But modern composers, except in works for ceremonial use, tend to return to scoring their services for choir and organ.… Related Questions. Margaret Laurie has demonstrated that Purcell almost certainly wrote only the song ‘Dear pretty youth’ for The Tempest, and she has made a persuasive case for John Weldon being the composer of the remainder of the music that became associated with Purcell’s name in the 18th century. Westrup, J. This article is about the 17th-century composer. Purcell fathered six children by his wife Frances, four of … [10] His wife Frances died in 1706, having published a number of her husband's works, including the now-famous collection called Orpheus Britannicus,[2] in two volumes, printed in 1698 and 1702, respectively. "[50], The 1995 film, England, My England tells the story of an actor who is himself writing a play about Purcell's life and music, and features many of his compositions.[51]. Lasting legacy. It was possibly modeled on John Blow's Venus and Adonis.Blow's piece was written and staged about the same time. For the New York judge, see, Performed by Phillip W. Serna, Treble, Tenor & Bass. Purcell’s genius as a composer for the stage was hampered by there being no public opera in London during his lifetime. [33] His epitaph reads: "Here lyes Henry Purcell Esq., who left this life and is gone to that Blessed Place where only His harmony can be exceeded."[34]. 628), a semi-opera in five acts with music by Henry Purcell and a libretto by John Dryden) is featured in The Crown (s1e9). His church music includes many anthems, devotional songs, and other sacred works, but few items for Anglican services. After Humfrey's death, Purcell continued his studies under Dr John Blow. A few months later, he wrote the music for D'Urfey's play, The Fool's Preferment. Omissions? Corrections? [2] Henry Purcell's earliest anthem Lord, who can tell was composed in 1678. [9], In 1679, he wrote songs for John Playford's Choice Ayres, Songs and Dialogues and an anthem, the name of which is unknown, for the Chapel Royal. [44] [2], In 1679, Blow, who had been appointed organist of Westminster Abbey 10 years before, resigned his office in favour of Purcell. Although he incorporated Italian and French stylistic elements, Purcell's was a uniquely English form of Baroque music. To later ages Purcell was best known as a songwriter because so many of his songs were printed in his lifetime and were reprinted again and again after his death. After his death, Purcell was honoured by many of his contemporaries, including his old friend John Blow, who wrote An Ode, on the Death of Mr. Henry Purcell (Mark how the lark and linnet sing) with text by his old collaborator, John Dryden. The Purcell Companion. The same qualities are apparent in the last of his odes for St. Cecilia’s Day, written in 1692. Purcell, the most important English composer of his time, composed music covering a wide field: the church, the stage, the court, and private entertainment. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Westrup, J .A. With alertness of mind went an individual inventiveness that marked him as the most original English composer of his time as well as one of the most original in Europe. It is a psalm that is prescribed for Christmas Day and also to be read at morning prayer on the fourth day of the month. [8] (The dates for his compositions are often uncertain, despite considerable research.) What is incidental music? Purcell fathered six children by his wife Frances, four of whom died in infancy. Westrup, J. The first evidence of his mastery as a composer, however, is an instrumental work—a series of fantasias (or “fancies”) for viols in three, four, five, six, and seven parts. Also on this occasion a work of Purcell was interpreted: the anthem I was glad when they said to me. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership, Songs and independent instrumental compositions, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Henry-Purcell, British Broadcasting Corporation - History - Biography of Henry Purcell, Henry Purcell - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Immediate Family: Son of Henry Purcell, Sr. and Elizabeth Purcell. 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. "What Power Art Thou" (from King Arthur, or The British Worthy (Z. When his voice broke in 1673, he was appointed assistant to John Hingston, keeper of the king’s instruments, whom he succeeded in 1683. Purcell worked in many genres, both in works closely linked to the court, such as symphony song, to the Chapel Royal, such as the symphony anthem, and the theatre.[35]. (London: J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd., 1975), 41. [10] Purcell now devoted himself almost entirely to the composition of sacred music, and for six years severed his connection with the theatre. Who did Henry Purcell work for? In 1691, he wrote the music for what is sometimes considered his dramatic masterpiece, King Arthur, or The British Worthy . He attended Westminster School and in 1676 was appointed copyist at Westminster Abbey. Purcell is said to have been composing at nine years old, but the earliest work that can be certainly identified as his is an ode for the King’s birthday, written in 1670. (New York City: St. Martin's Press Inc., 1967), 266. [43], Music for the Funeral of Queen Mary was reworked by Wendy Carlos for the title music of the 1971 film by Stanley Kubrick, A Clockwork Orange. Purcell's Te Deum and Jubilate Deo were written for Saint Cecilia's Day, 1694, the first English Te Deum ever composed with orchestral accompaniment. Purcell died in 1695 at his home in Marsham Street,[30] at the height of his career. [10] It was written to a libretto furnished by Nahum Tate, and performed in 1689 in cooperation with Josias Priest, a dancing master and the choreographer for the Dorset Garden Theatre. The nine four-part fantasias all bear dates in the summer of 1680, and the others can hardly be later. Purcell also composed for five other plays within the same year. He is generally considered to be one of the greatest English composers; no other native-born English composer approached his fame until … In the Royal Chapel, Purcell found himself a great teacher by the name of Dr. John Blow and it is said that just a small number of lessons from Dr. Blow made all other music lessons from … Purcell seems to have spent all his life in Westminster. Westrup, J. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. In 1677 he succeeded Matthew Locke as the composer for Charles II’s string orchestra and in 1679 was appointed organist of Westminster Abbey in succession to the composer John Blow. A. Purcell. Please select which sections you would like to print: While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. During the 1960s, which was also the last leg of his life, Purcell created music for 42 … Father of Edward Purcell. [31] The beginning of Purcell's will reads: In the name of God Amen. A list of works in the composer category that are not included here can be found on this page. Among Purcell's most notable works are his opera Dido and Aeneas (1688), his semi-operas Dioclesian (1690), King Arthur (1691), The Fairy-Queen (1692) and Timon of Athens (1695), as well as the compositions Hail! He attended Westminster School and in 1676 was appointed copyist at Westminster Abbey. Dido and Aeneas (/ˈdaɪdoʊ/ "Dy-doh and eh-Nee-us") is a three-act English opera.The story and words were written by Nahum Tate.The music was written by Henry Purcell.The opera was probably written about 1684-1685. Probably about the same time he started to work on a more fashionable type of instrumental music—a series of sonatas for two violins, bass viol, and organ (or harpsichord). 1659 - 1695. Category:Purcell, Henry. A. Purcell. Purcell was born in St Ann's Lane, Old Pye Street, Westminster – the area of London later known as Devil's Acre, a notorious slum – in 1659. Henry Purcell (/ˈpɜːrsəl/ or /pɜːrˈsɛl/; c. 10 September 1659 – 21 November 1695) was an English composer. Find Henry Purcell composition information on AllMusic. Settle the score with this quiz. [11] The composition of his chamber opera Dido and Aeneas, which forms a very important landmark in the history of English dramatic music, has been attributed to this period, and its earliest production may well have predated the documented one of 1689. "[37], Purcell also had a strong influence on the composers of the English musical renaissance of the early 20th century, most notably Benjamin Britten, who arranged many of Purcell's vocal works for voice(s) and piano in Britten's Purcell Realizations, including from Dido and Aeneas, and whose The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra is based on a theme from Purcell's Abdelazar. In these works Purcell showed not only a lively sense of comedy but also a gift of passionate musical expression that is often more exalted than the words. [10] In July 1695, Purcell composed an ode for the Duke of Gloucester for his sixth birthday. 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