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PURCELL, HENRY (1658-1695)

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Originally appearing in Volume V22, Page 659 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.

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PURCELL, HENRY (1658-1695)

PURCELL, See also:
HENRY
HENRY (1129-1195)
HENRY (c. 1108-1139)
HENRY (c. 1174–1216)
HENRY (Fr. Henri; Span. Enrique; Ger. Heinrich; Mid. H. Ger. Heinrich and Heimrich; O.H.G. Haimi- or Heimirih, i.e. " prince, or chief of the house," from O.H.G. heim, the Eng. home, and rih, Goth. reiks; compare Lat. rex " king "—" rich," therefore " mig
HENRY, EDWARD LAMSON (1841– )
HENRY, JAMES (1798-1876)
HENRY, JOSEPH (1797-1878)
HENRY, MATTHEW (1662-1714)
HENRY, PATRICK (1736–1799)
HENRY, PRINCE OF BATTENBERG (1858-1896)
HENRY, ROBERT (1718-1790)
HENRY, VICTOR (1850– )
HENRY, WILLIAM (1795-1836)
HENRY (1658-1695) , See also:

ENGLISH

English musical composer, was See also:

BORN, IGNAZ, EDLER VON (1742–1791)

born in 1658 in St See also:

Ann's See also:

Lane, Old See also:

PYE, HENRY JAMES (1745-1813)

Pye See also:

Street, See also:

Westminster. His See also:

FATHER

father, Henry Purcell (or Pursell), was a See also:

GENTLEMAN (from Lat. gentilis, " belonging to a race or gens," and " man "; Fr. gentilhomme, Span. gentil hombre, Ital. gentil huomo, in its original and strict signification, a term denoting a man of good family, the Lat. generosus (its invariable transl

gentleman of the See also:

CHAPEL

chapel-royal, and in that capacity sang at the See also:

CORONATION (Lat. corona, crown)

coronation of See also:

Charles II.; he had three sons, See also:

EDWARD

Edward, Henry and See also:

Daniel—the last of whom (d. 1717) was also a prolific composer. After his father's See also:

DEATH

death in 1664 See also:

young Henry Purcell was placed under the guardianship of his See also:

UNCLE

uncle, See also:

Thomas Purcell (d. 1682), a See also:

man of extraordinary probity and kindness. Through the See also:

INTEREST

interest of this affectionate See also:

GUARDIAN

guardian, who was himself a gentleman of His See also:

MAJESTY (Fr. majeste; Lat. majestas, grandeur, greatness, from the base mag-, as in magnus, great, major, greater, &c.)

Majesty's chapel, Henry was admitted to the chapel-royal as a chorister, and studied first under See also:

CAPTAIN (derived from Lat. ca put, head, through the Low Lat. capitanus)

Captain Henry See also:

Cooke (d. 1672), " See also:

MASTER (Lat. magister, related to tnagis, more, as the corresponding minister is to minus, less; the English form is due partly to the O. Eng. maegister, and partly to O. Fr. maistre, mod. maitre; cf. Du. meester, Ger. Meister, Ital. maestro)

master of the See also:

CHILDREN, LAW RELATING TO

children," and afterwards under See also:

Pelham Humfrey (1647-1674), his successor, a See also:

PUPIL (Lat. pupillus, orphan, minor, dim. of pupus, boy, allied to puer, from root pm- or peu-, to beget, cf. "pupa," Lat. for " doll," the name given to the stage intervening between the larval and imaginal stages in certain insects)

pupil of See also:

LULLY

Lully. He is said to have composed well at nine years old; but the earliest See also:

WORK

work that can be certainly identified as his is an See also:

ODE (Gr. uiSri, from aei&ew, to sing)

ode for the See also:

king's birthday, written in 167o. (The See also:

DATES

dates for his compositions are often uncertain, though See also:

RECENT

recent See also:

RESEARCH (O. Fr. recerche, from recercher, re- and cercer, mod. chercher, to search; Late Lat. circare, to go round in a circle, to explore)

research has done much to See also:

FIX, THEODORE (180o-1846)

fix them more authoritatively.) After Humfrey's death he continued his studies under Dr See also:

John See also:

BLOW, JOHN (1648-1708)

Blow. In 1676 he was appointed copyist at Westminster See also:

Abbey—not organist, as hassometimes been erroneously stated—and in the same See also:

YEAR

year he composed the See also:

MUSIC

music to See also:

DRYDEN, JOHN (1631-1700)

Dryden's Aurenge-Zebe, and See also:

SHADWELL, THOMAS (c. 1642-1692)

Shadwell's See also:

EPSOM

Epsom See also:

Wells and The Libertine.' These were followed in 1677 by the music to Mrs See also:

BEHN, APHRA (otherwise AFRA, APHARA or AYFARA) (164o-1689)

Behn's tragedy, Abdelazor, and in 1678 by an See also:

OVERTURE (Fr. ouverture, opening)

overture and masque for Shadwell's new version of See also:

SHAKESPEARE, WILLIAM (1564-1616)

Shakespeare's See also:

Timon of See also:

Athens. The excellence of these compositions is proved by the fact that they contain songs and choruses which never fail to please, even at the See also:

PRESENT

present See also:

day. The masque in Timon of Athens is a masterpiece, and the See also:

CHORUS (Gr. xopbs)Z

chorus " In these delightful pleasant groves" in The Libertine is constantly sung with See also:

APPLAUSE (Lat. applaudere, to strike upon, clap)

applause by English choral See also:

SOCIETIES, LEARNED

societies.

In 1679 he wrote some songs for Playford's Choice Ayres, Songs and Dialogues, and also an See also:

ANTHEM

anthem, the name of which is not known, for the chapel-royal. From a See also:

LETTER (through Fr. lettre from Lat. littera or litera, letter of the alphabet; the origin of the Latin word is obscure; it has probably no connexion with the root of linere, to smear, i.e. with wax, for an inscription with a stilus)

letter written by Thomas Purcell, and still extant, we learn that this anthem was composed for the exceptionally See also:

FINE

fine See also:

VOICE (Fr. voix, from Lat. vox)

voice of the Rev. John Gostling, then at See also:

Canterbury, but afterwards a gentleman of His Majesty's chapel. Purcell wrote several anthems at different times for this extra-See also:

ORDINARY (med. Lat. ordinarius, Fr. ordinaire)

ordinary voice, a basso profundo, the See also:

COMPASS (Fr. corn pas, ultimately from Lat. cum, with, and passus, step)

compass of which is known to have comprised at least two full octaves, from D below the stave to D above it. The dates of very few of these sacred compositions are known; but one, " They that go down to the See also:

sea in See also:

SHIPS

ships," though certainly not written until some See also:

time after this See also:

period, will be best mentioned here. In thankfulness for a providential See also:

ESCAPE (in mid. Eng. eschape or escape, from the O. Fr. eschapper, modern echapper, and escaper, low Lat. escapium, from ex, out of, and cappa, cape, cloak; cf. for the sense development the Gr. iichueoOat, literally to put off one's clothes, hence to sli

escape of the king from shipwreck Gostling, who had been of the royal party, put together some verses from the See also:

Psalms in the See also:

FORM (Lat. forma)

form of an anthem, and requested Purcell to set them to music. The work is a very fine one but very difficult, and contains a passage which traverses the full extent of Gostling's voice, beginning on the upper D and descending two octaves to the See also:

LOWER

lower. In 168o Dr Blow, who had been appointed organist of Westminster Abbey in 1669, resigned his See also:

OFFICE (from Lat. officium, " duty," " service," a shortened form of opifacium, from facere, " to do," and either the stem of opes, " wealth," " aid," or opus, " work ")

office in favour of his pupil; and Purcell, at the See also:

AGE (Fr. age, through late Lat. aetaticum, from aetas)

age of twenty-two, was placed in one of the most See also:

HONOURABLE (Fr. honorable, from Lat. honorabilis, worthy of honour)

honourable positions an English artist could occupy. He now devoted himself almost entirely to the See also:

composition of sacred music, and for six years entirely severed his connexion with the See also:

THEATRE (BEarpov, " a place for seeing," from OeacOae)

theatre. But during the See also:

early See also:

PART

part of the year, and in all See also:

PROBABILITY (Lat. probabilis, probable or credible)

probability before entering upon the duties of his new office, he had produced two important See also:

WORKS

works for the See also:

STAGE (Fr. 6/age; from Lat. stare, to stand)

stage, the music for See also:

Lee's See also:

THEODOSIUS

Theodosius and D'Urfey's Virtuous Wife. The composition of his See also:

OPERA (Italian for " work ")

opera See also:

DIDO, or ELISSA

Dido and See also:

AENEAS

Aeneas, which forms a very important landmark in the See also:

HISTORY

history of English dramatic music (see OPERA), has been attributed to this period, though its earliest See also:

PRODUCTION (Lat. productionem, from producere, to pro-duce)

production has been shown by Mr W. See also:

Barclay See also:

SQUIRE

Squire to have been between 1688 and 1690.

It was written to a libretto furnished by See also:

NAHUM (Hebrew for " rich in comfort [is God] ")

Nahum See also:

Tate, at the See also:

REQUEST, LETTERS OF

request of See also:

JOSIAH (Heb. yo' shiyydhu, perhaps " Yah [weh] supports ")

Josiah See also:

PRIEST (Ger. Priester, Fr. pretre)

Priest, a See also:

PROFESSOR (the Latin noun formed from the verb profiteri, to declare publicly, to acknowledge, profess)

professor of dancing, who also kept a boarding-school for young gentlewomen, first in See also:

Leicester See also:

FIELDS, JAMES THOMAS (1817-1881)

Fields and afterwards at See also:

CHELSEA

Chelsea. It is a musical See also:

DRAMA (literally "action," from Gr. Snail, act or do)

drama in the strictest sense of the See also:

TERM

term, a genuine opera, in which the See also:

ACTION

action is entirely carried on in recitative, without a word of spoken See also:

DIALOGUE

dialogue from beginning to end; and the music is of the most genial See also:

CHARACTER (Gr. xapareri7p, from xap&crew, to scratch)

character—a veritable See also:

INSPIRATION (Lat. inspirare, breathe upon or into)

inspiration, overflowing with spontaneous See also:

MELODY (Gr. ,ueXw3ia, a choral song, from name, tune, and gi6i, song)

melody, and in every respect immensely in advance of its age. It never found its way to the theatre, though it appears to have been very popular among private circles. It is believed to have been extensively copied, but one See also:

SONG

song only was printed by Purcell's widow in See also:

ORPHEUS

Orpheus See also:

BRITANNICUS

Britannicus, and the See also:

COMPLETE

complete work remained in See also:

MANUSCRIPT

manuscript until 184o, when it was printed by the Musical Antiquarian Society, under the editorship of See also:

Sir See also:

George See also:

MACFARREN, SIR GEORGE ALEXANDER (1813-1887)

Macfarren. In 1682 Purcell was appointed organist of the chapel-royal, See also:

VICE

vice See also:

Edmund See also:

Lowe deceased, an office which he was able to hold conjointly with his See also:

APPOINTMENT, POWER OF

appointment at Westminster Abbey. He had recently married, his eldest son being born in this year. His first printed composition, Twelve Sonatas, was published in 1683. For some years after this his See also:

PEN (Lat. penna, a feather, pen)

pen was busily employed in the production of sacred music, odes addressed to the king and royal See also:

FAMILY

family, and other similar works. In 1685 he wrote two ' The Libertine was suggested by Tirso de See also:

MOLINA, LUIS (1535-1600)

Molina's See also:

TALE (O.Eng. talu, number, account, story; the word is common to many Teutonic languages; cf. Ger. Zahl, number, Erzahlung, narrative, Du. taal, speech, language)

tale, El Burlador de Sevilla, afterwards dramatically treated by See also:

MOLIERE (1622-1673)

Moliere and chosen by Da See also:

PONTE (Ital. for " bridge ")

Ponte as the See also:

FOUNDATION (Lat. fundatio, from fundare, to found)

foundation of See also:

MOZART, WOLFGANG AMADEUS1 (1756–1791)

Mozart's See also:

Don Giovanni. of his finest anthems, " I was glad " and " My See also:

heart is inditing," for the coronation of See also:

James II. In 1687 he resumed his connexion with the theatre by furnishing the music for Dryden's tragedy, Tyrannic Love. In this year also Purcell composed a See also:

march and See also:

QUICK

quick-step, which became so popular that See also:

Lord See also:

Wharton adapted the latter to the fatal verses of Lillibulero; and in or before See also:

JANUARY

January 1688 he composed his anthem " Blessed are they that fear the Lord," by See also:

EXPRESS (through the French from the past participle of the Lat. exprimere, to press out, by transference used of representing objects in painting or sculpture, or of thoughts, &c. in words)

express command of the king.

A few months later he wrote the music for D'Urfey's See also:

PLAY

play, The See also:

FOOL (O. Fr. fol, modern fou, foolish, from a Late Latin use of follis, bellows, a ball filled with air, for a stupid person, a jester, a wind-bag)

Fool's Preferment. In 1690 he wrote the songs for Dryden's version of Shakespeare's See also:

TEMPEST, MARIE (1866– )

Tempest, including " Full See also:

FATHOM

fathom five " and " Come unto these Yellow Sands," and the music for See also:

BETTERTON, THOMAS (c. 1635-1710)

Betterton's See also:

ADAPTATION (from Lat. adaptare. to fit to)

adaptation of See also:

Fletcher and See also:

MASSINGER, PHILIP (1583-1640)

Massinger's Prophetess (afterwards called Dioclesian) and Dryden's See also:

AMPHITRYON

Amphitryon; and in 1691 he produced his dramatic masterpiece, King See also:

Arthur, also written by Dryden, and first published by the Musical Antiquarian Society in 1843. In 1692 he composed songs and music for The See also:

FAIRY (Fr. fee, faerie; Prov. facia; Sp. hada; Ital. fata; med. Lat. fatare, to enchant, from Lat. fatum, fate, destiny)

Fairy See also:

Queen (an adaptation of Shakespeare's Midsummer See also:

NIGHT

Night's See also:

DREAM (from a root dreug, connected with Germ. trugen, to deceive)

Dream), the See also:

SCORE (O.E. scor, from sceran, to cut, notch, cf. " shear ")

score of which (discovered in 1901) was edited in 1903 for the Purcell Society by J. S. Shedlock. But Purcell's greatest work is undoubtedly his Te Deum and Jubilate, written for St See also:

CECILIA, SAINT

Cecilia's Day, 1694, the first English Te Deum ever composed with orchestral accompaniments. In this he pressed forward so far in advance of the age that the work was annually performed at St See also:

Paul's See also:

CATHEDRAL

Cathedral till 1712, after which it was performed alternately with See also:

HANDEL, GEORGE FREDERICK (1685–1759)

Handel's See also:

Utrecht Te Deum and Jubliate until 1743, when it finally gave See also:

PLACE (through Fr. from Lat. platea, street; Gr. IrAar6s, wide)

place to Handel's See also:

DETTINGEN

Dettingen Te Deum. Purcell did not See also:

long survive the production of this See also:

GREAT

great work. He composed an anthem for Queen See also:

Mary's funeral, and two elegies. He died at his See also:

house in See also:

Dean's Yard, Westminster, on the 21st of See also:

NOVEMBER (Lat. novem, nine)

November 1695, and was buried under the See also:

ORGAN

organ in Westminster Abbey. He See also:

LEFT

left a widow and three children, three having predeceased him. His widow died in 1706.

She published a number of his works, including the now famous collection called Orpheus Britannicus (two books, 1698, 1702). Besides the operas already mentioned, Purcell wrote Don Quixote, Bonduca, The See also:

INDIAN

Indian Queen and others, a vast quantity of sacred music, and numerous odes, cantatas and other See also:

MISCELLANEOUS

miscellaneous pieces. (See the See also:

list in See also:

Grove's See also:

DICTIONARY

Dictionary of Music.) A Purcell See also:

CLUB (connected with " clump ")

Club was founded in See also:

LONDON

London in 1836 for promoting the performance of his music, but was dissolved in 1863. In 1876 a Purcell Society was founded, which has done excellent work in See also:

PUBLISHING

publishing new See also:

EDITIONS

editions of his works.

End of Article: PURCELL, HENRY (1658-1695)

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