Download Purcells (Robert Brown)

THE PURCELLS
by Robert Brown.
Appeared in February 1995 issue.
The great English composer, Henry Purcell, died on November 21st, 1695 (the day
before St. Cecilia’s Day), in his 37th year, and was buried in Westminster Abbey near
the foot of the organ. According to tradition, Purcell died from the effects of a cold
that developed after his wife, Frances, locked him out of the house on a chilly
evening. A tablet on a pillar near his grave says:
‘Here lyes HENRY PURCELL Esqr.,
Who left this Life
And is gone to that Blessed Place
Where only his Harmony can be exceeded’.
Henry Purcell was born in Westminster in 1659, the actual date of his birth is
unknown. There is some confusion about his parentage, but it seems likely that he
was the second son of Thomas Purcell, a court musician and chorister of the Chapel
Royal. Young Henry was one of the twelve Children of the Chapel Royal from about
1665 to 1673, and received musical instruction successively from Captain Cooke,
Pelham Humfrey and John Blow. His voice broke when he was 14 years old, and he
was then apprenticed to John Hingeston, the Keeper of the King’s keyboard and wind
instruments. Henry Purcell succeeded to this position in 1683. He was successively
appointed Composer for the “King’s Violins” in 1677, Organist at Westminster Abbey
in 1679 and of the Chapel Royal in 1682. Henry Purcell began to compose at a young
age. Some of his early compositions are sometimes confused with those of his uncle,
Henry Purcell senior, also a professional musician and chorister, who was Master of
the Choristers at Westminster Abbey.
In about 1680, Henry Purcell began writing incidental music for the Duke of York’s
Theatre. His output from then until his early death was prolific. He wrote a large
quantity of choral music for use in church services, songs, instrumental music, music
for the organ and harpsichord, and music for 40 plays. Purcell evolved a new choral
style that was influenced by Italian opera rather than the Elizabethan motet traditions.
His opera, Dido and Aneas, one of the first important English operas, was written to a
text by Nahum Tate in 1689 for a performance at a Chelsea Girl’s School. Dido’s
Lament is probably the most famous song from this opera. Purcell wrote five more
operas, but these are not considered true operas, because they have sections of
dialogue interspersed with musical items. These operas include Dioclesian (1690),
King Arthur (1691), The Fairy Queen (1692, based on A Midsummer Night’s Dream),
The Tempest (1695) and The Indian Queen (1695).
After Purcell’s untimely death, his contemporary musicians revered him as the
greatest English composer of his time. John Dryden’s Ode on the Death of Mr Henry
Purcell was set to music by Purcell’s former teacher and associate, John Blow. Once
the music of Handel had become popular in England, Purcell was almost forgotten.
The Purcell Society was formed in 1876 to promote, edit and publish Henry Purcell’s
music.
During Purcell’s lifetime, the recorder was far more prevalent in England than was the
transverse flute. This means that Purcell probably didn’t compose any music
specifically for the transverse flute. Many of his compositions are well suited for
performance on the flute and many arrangements and transcriptions have been made.
Performers looking for music composed by Henry Purcell to include in concert
programmes during the tercentenary year will have no difficulty finding something to
play, as the list of selected compositions below will indicate.
Selected Music composed by Henry Purcell
Air and Hornpipe, arranged by Roland Revell for flute or oboe and piano. Rudall,
Carte & Co. Ltd., London (Boosey & Hawkes).
Two Minuets, arranged by Harold Perry for flute and piano. Classical Album for flute
and piano, Rudall, Carte & Co. Ltd., London (Boosey & Hawkes).
Rigaudon, arranged by Hugh M. Stuart for flute and piano. Flute Fancies, Boston
Music Co.
Tune from The Fairy Queen (originally written for string orchestra) for flute and
piano. AMEB Series Grade 1 Book for Flute, Allans Publishing Pty. Ltd.
Rondeau, First Music from The Fairy Queen (originally written for string orchestra)
for flute and piano. AMEB Series Grade 2 Book for Flute, Allans Publishing Pty. Ltd.
Sonata in G Minor. Arranged by R. Forst from Purcell’s Violin Sonata. Edition
Musicus.
Nymphes et Bergers (Nymphs and Shepherds), arranged for flute and piano. Kjos.
Dance Suite, arranged for flute and piano. Edition Musicus.
Dido’s Lament, from Dido and Aeneas, annotated and edited by Nathan Bergenfeld.
This a keyboard arrangement, but the flute can play the theme from the treble clef
line. Renaissance to Rock, Everbody’s Favorite Series No. 157, Amsco Music
Publishing Company, New York, 1975.
Air, Minuet and Song Tune. Transcribed and edited by Ichiro Tada for descant
recorder and guitar. Baroque Pieces for Descant Recorder and Guitar, Edition Zen-on.
Rondeau minuet from The Gordian Knot Untied. Arranged by F. Hand for flute and
guitar. New York: Handwerks, 1981.
Sonata, arranged by Behrend for flute and guitar. Hladky.
Suite, arranged for flute and guitar. Heinrichshofen.
Rounds, Where Are You Going?; Bubbling and Splashing; Under This Stone Lies
Gabriel John; Once in Our Lives; Fie, Nay, Prithee, John; Once, Twice, Thrice.
Compiled and arranged by Bruce and Susan Gillam. Roundabout, Thomas Meadows
Publications, Perth, WA.
Allemande for two flutes. Edited by H. Voxman. Selected Duets for Flute, Volume 1,
Rubank, Inc., No. 177.
Three Symphonies, for two recorders, with cembalo and continuo. Arranged by W.
Bergmann. Schott & Co., Ltd., London.
Chaconne from Dido and Aeneas, originally a trio from the opera, has been arranged
effectively for flute ensembles or choirs. There are two editions available:
1. Arranged by James Pellerite, with the ground bass supplied so it can be played on
C flute, alto flute or bass flute. Zalo Publications.
2. Arranged by Livingstone Gearhart and Frederick Wilkins, with the ground bass
supplied for both C flutes and alto flutes. From Flute Sessions, Shawnee Press Inc.
Five Instrumental Pieces, March (The Married Beau), Ritornelle (Dido and Aeneas),
Second Act Tune (Dioclesian), Dance of Bacchanals (Dioclesian), Jig (Lilliburlero)
(The Gordian Knot Untied). Arranged by D. R. Smith for descant, treble, tenor and
bass recorders, The Chester Recorder Series, No. 2, J. & W. Chester Ltd.
Chaconne from The Fairy Queen. Arranged by Robert Salkeld, for descant, treble and
tenor recorders with keyboard, The Chester Recorder Series, No. 3, J. & W. Chester
Ltd.
Benjamin Britten’s Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, opus 34, is a theme and
set of variations that demonstrates the various instruments and sections of the
orchestra. Britten paid homage to Purcell by using for the theme the Rondeau from
some incidental music that Purcell wrote for Aphra Behn’s play, Abdelazer.
DANIEL PURCELL
There are also some compositions by Daniel Purcell (1660-1717), the younger brother
of Henry, listed in the music catalogues. Daniel Purcell was Organist of Magdalen
College, Oxford. Grove’s Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 5th Edition, says that
Daniel Purcell wrote sonatas for both ‘flute and violin’, but it seems likely that this
refers to the recorder rather than the transverse flute.
Selected Music composed by Daniel Purcell
Sonata in D Minor. Flute and continuo. Schott & Co., Ltd., London.
Sonata in F Major. Flute and continuo. Schott & Co., Ltd., London.
Sonata in F Major. Flute and continuo. Oxford University Press, No. 8362.
Sonata in E Major. Flute and continuo. Oxford University Press.
Six Sonatas, 2 Volumes. Volume 1 for recorder, Volume 2 for violin. EMA.
Trio Sonata in D Minor. Two flutes and continuo. Schott & Co., Ltd., London.
Sarabande, arranged by D. Kaplan, for flute and piano. Spratt.
Bibliography
The Oxford Companion to Music, 10th Edition, 1970. Percy A. Scholes. Oxford.
Grove’s Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 5th Edition, 1954. Edited by Eric Blom.
MacMillan.
24 Hours, March 1995, pages 40-43, ‘The Brief Life of Mr Henry Purcell, England’s
Orpheus’, by Graeme Skinner. ABC Radio Marketing, Sydney.
A Handbook of Literature for the Flute. James A. Pellerite, 1978. Zalo Publications.
Flute Repertoire Catalogue. Frans Vester, 1967. Musica Rara, London.
Flute Litterature. Bernard Pierreuse, 1982. Editions Jobert and Editions Musicales
Transatlantiques.
Assorted catalogues of various music publishers.