One of four sons, Henry Purcell revealed his
musical skills at a very early age and joined the Chapel Royal in
London as a boy chorister. Choristers were encouraged to develop
their talents, and the eight-year-old Purcell duly obliged by
composing a three-part song. "Sweet tyranness", which became a
part of leading publisher Playford's "Can That Catch Can."
After his voice broke, Purcell left the choir
and was engaged as assistant to the Keeper of the King's
Instruments. He progressed to supervision and tuning of the organ
at Westminster Abbey (1674-8) and m 1677 replaced Matthew Locke as
Composer-in-Ordinary (for violins). Two years later he succeeded
John Blow as the Abbey's organist and shortly after married
Frances Peters, with whom he settled in a house provided with the
employment.
From this stable domestic setting his
compositions flowed. He wrote Latin anthems for the royal chapels,
a book of trio sonatas, and other occasional pieces for the court;
in all he catered with great versatility to the distinct musical
differences between
the royal court, public ceremonies at Westminster Abbey, and the
theatre — the latter an increasing interest with Purcell. In 1685
he composed the anthem Rejoice in the Lord alway,
known as the Bell anthem because of the "pealing"
effect of its instrumental introduction.
He had become the official organist to the
Chapel Royal in 1682 and a year later was made Organ Maker and
Keeper of the King's Instruments. Purcell was evidently well able
to fulfil an administrative role while remaining a creative
musician, for his court positions were reconfirmed by James II,
and again in 1689 when William III and Mary took the throne. For
the coronations of each, Purcell composed anthems and played on
the Abbey organ.
Purcell's affinity for the theatre led him to
explore the medium of opera. In his thirties his efforts bore
fruit with the 1689 premiere of his famous
Dido and Aeneas,the
first English opera of lasting significance. Although less than an
hour long, it contains dances and choruses in many styles and
spans a wide variety of human emotions from elation to despair.
Its most famous aria is Dido's Lament, "When I am laid in earth",
sung over a repeated bass line of filling semitones (the smallest
interval between two notes used at that time), representing Dido's
descent into the grave after her desertion by Aeneas.
After Dido, Purcell wrote largely for the
theatre. Between 1690 and 1695 he composed music for no fewer than
37 productions, including King Arthur in 1691 and The
fairy queen in 1692. He continued to write pieces for royal
occasions, and in 1 694 composed an ode, Come ye sons of art,
away, for the birthday of Queen Mary, wife of William III. The
piece
includes the aria "Sound the trumpet", usually sung
by a pair of duelling countertenors.
When Queen Mary died of smallpox late in 1694,
Purcell wrote a series of pieces for her funeral, held in
Westminster Abbey in March 1695. The
Funeral music for Queen Mary comprises an anthem, four
profoundly bleak pieces for trumpets and trombones, and two
elegies. That same year some of the music was used at Purcell's
own funeral. His death at the early age of 36 was an immense loss
to England and the musical world. His funeral, like Queen Mary's,
was held at Westminster Abbey, with both the Chapel Royal choir
and the Abbey choir in attendance, and he was laid to rest close
by the organ at Westminster Abbey that he had spent years
maintaining.
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