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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.