After Purcell's death at age 36 in 1695, his heirs and publishers quickly collected and issued his works, driven by both commercial and tributary motives.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Purcell's music is described as Gebrauchsmusik, meaning it was flexibly scored and interpretable, allowing for virtuosic or innocently affecting performances.
Composer Biography
Henry Purcell, though now considered superior to his contemporaries, was seen as merely 'first among equals' during his lifetime.
Composition History
The anthologies Orpheus Britannicus (1698, 1702) and Ayres for the Theatre (1697) were crucial in preserving and popularizing Purcell's music after his death.
Interpretation
This recording deliberately disrupts hardened performance expectations of Purcell's music, embracing a 'free-and-easy programming ethos' and flexible instrumentation.
Composition History
During Purcell's lifetime, most of his instrumental music only existed in manuscript, known primarily by professional musicians.
Composition History
Only one of Purcell's operas, Dioclesian, was published during his lifetime, which he self-funded as a piece of self-promotion.
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