September 9, 2013.Embarrassment of the riches: Purcell, Schoenberg, Frescobaldi, Dvořák, Milhaud, Cherubini, Pärt.Last week we wrote about Anton Bruckner, but several other wonderful composers were born the same week: Antonin Dvořák and Darius Milhaud, and also Anton Diabelli, Johann Christian Bach, and Amy Beach.And this week continues with several more first-rate talents: from Girolamo Frescobaldi, who worked in the beginning of the 17th century to Henry Purcell at the end of it; to another Englishman, William Boyce, probably the most important English composer of the 18th century; to Clara Schumann, Robert’s wife and Brahms’s friend, a great pianist and important figure on the German music scene; to the revolutionary Arnold Schoenberg in the first half of the 20th century and finally to the Estonian composer Arvo Pärt at the end of it.We’ve written about most of these composers in the past and will commemorate them later in the year, but today we’ll mark Henry Purcell’s birthday, which is commonly presumed to fall on September 10, 1659.Purcell was born in Westminster, London.His father, Henry Purcell Sr., was a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal, where singers and musicians were trained to entertain the royal family.Several other members of the Purcell family were musicians, including Henry’s uncle and his younger brother, who also became a composer.Purcell’s father died when Henry was five, and his uncle became his guardian.He helped Henry to enter Chapel Royal as a chorister.When his voice broke, he found employment as an assistant to the Keeper of King’s instruments.Later, he tuned the organ of the Westminster Abbey.Purcell started composing at the age of nine.When he was 18, he succeeded Matthew Locke, a composer and music theorist, as the Composer of Charles II’s string orchestra.Two years later he was appointed the organist of the Westminster Abbey, after the composer and Purcell’s teacher John Blow resigned in favor of his pupil.Purcell’s life was short but it coincided with the turbulent period in England’s history at the end of the 17th century: as a youth he started serving King Charles II, then, after Charles’s death in 1685, he continued with King James II.He lived (and kept his positions) through the Glorious Revolution, and then worked for William III and his wife, Queen Mary II.Purcell died in 1695 at the age of 36 at the height of his career.
Purcell was a prolific composer: he wrote sacred music, songs, theater music, operas and the so-called semi-operas, in which music was mixed with dance and spoken word (English opera had to wait for Handel for its full development).Among his most famous compositions are the opera Dido and Aeneas (1688), and semi-operas The Fairy-Queen (1692) and The Indian Queen (1695).Here’s the famous aria When I Am Laid In Earth from Dido and Aeneas.It’s sung by the incomparable Jessye Norman.Purcell also wrote a number of instrumental compositions, many of them in the form of sonatas for two violin, bass viol (viola da gamba) and organ or harpsichord.On December 28th of 1694 Queen Mary died.The winter was very cold, and her embalmed body lay in state in Whitehall till March 5, when she was buried at Westminster Abbey.Purcell wrote Music for the Funeral of Queen Mary, one of his most popular pieces.Stanley Kubrick used part of it to great effect in his movie Clockwork Orange (the theme starts at the 11th minute of the recording).Eight months later Purcell was dead.The same Music was played on his funeral.He was also buried in Westminster Abbey, next to the organ.You can listen to the complete Music for the Funeral in the performance by The Sixteen, Harry Christophers conducting.
Embarrassment of the riches, 2013
September 9, 2013. Embarrassment of the riches: Purcell, Schoenberg, Frescobaldi, Dvořák, Milhaud, Cherubini, Pärt. Last week we wrote about Anton Bruckner, but several other wonderful composers were born the same week: Antonin Dvořák and Darius Milhaud, and also Anton Diabelli, Johann Christian Bach, and Amy Beach. And this
week continues with several more first-rate talents: from Girolamo Frescobaldi, who worked in the beginning of the 17th century to Henry Purcell at the end of it; to another Englishman, William Boyce, probably the most important English composer of the 18th century; to Clara Schumann, Robert’s wife and Brahms’s friend, a great pianist and important figure on the German music scene; to the revolutionary Arnold Schoenberg in the first half of the 20th century and finally to the Estonian composer Arvo Pärt at the end of it. We’ve written about most of these composers in the past and will commemorate them later in the year, but today we’ll mark Henry Purcell’s birthday, which is commonly presumed to fall on September 10, 1659. Purcell was born in Westminster, London. His father, Henry Purcell Sr., was a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal, where singers and musicians were trained to entertain the royal family. Several other members of the Purcell family were musicians, including Henry’s uncle and his younger brother, who also became a composer. Purcell’s father died when Henry was five, and his uncle became his guardian. He helped Henry to enter Chapel Royal as a chorister. When his voice broke, he found employment as an assistant to the Keeper of King’s instruments. Later, he tuned the organ of the Westminster Abbey. Purcell started composing at the age of nine. When he was 18, he succeeded Matthew Locke, a composer and music theorist, as the Composer of Charles II’s string orchestra. Two years later he was appointed the organist of the Westminster Abbey, after the composer and Purcell’s teacher John Blow resigned in favor of his pupil. Purcell’s life was short but it coincided with the turbulent period in England’s history at the end of the 17th century: as a youth he started serving King Charles II, then, after Charles’s death in 1685, he continued with King James II. He lived (and kept his positions) through the Glorious Revolution, and then worked for William III and his wife, Queen Mary II. Purcell died in 1695 at the age of 36 at the height of his career.
Purcell was a prolific composer: he wrote sacred music, songs, theater music, operas and the so-called semi-operas, in which music was mixed with dance and spoken word (English opera had to wait for Handel for its full development). Among his most famous compositions are the opera Dido and Aeneas (1688), and semi-operas The Fairy-Queen (1692) and The Indian Queen (1695). Here’s the famous aria When I Am Laid In Earth from Dido and Aeneas. It’s sung by the incomparable Jessye Norman. Purcell also wrote a number of instrumental compositions, many of them in the form of sonatas for two violin, bass viol (viola da gamba) and organ or harpsichord. On December 28th of 1694 Queen Mary died. The winter was very cold, and her embalmed body lay in state in Whitehall till March 5, when she was buried at Westminster Abbey. Purcell wrote Music for the Funeral of Queen Mary, one of his most popular pieces. Stanley Kubrick used part of it to great effect in his movie Clockwork Orange (the theme starts at the 11th minute of the recording). Eight months later Purcell was dead. The same Music was played on his funeral. He was also buried in Westminster Abbey, next to the organ. You can listen to the complete Music for the Funeral in the performance by The Sixteen, Harry Christophers conducting.