Henry Purcell

Purcell was born in 1659 into a family of musicians. His father belongs to the Royal Chapel of Westminster Abbey where the musicians in the King's service are educated. There he receives his training as a chorister, then that of composer. He becomes tuner at the Royal Chapel from 1674 and then begins to compose for King Charles II from 1677. Once he is organist at Westminster Abbey in 1679, he remains composer to the Court through the successive reigns of James II, of William III and Mary. In 1689, Purcell turns to opera and with Didon and Aeneas composes a dramatic work of the first order. From this date, he writes numerous songs and melodies for the theatre including musical interludes and ballets. A creator with a very personal choral style which is particularly well adapted to the inflections of the English language, he is also greatly appreciated by the dramatists of his day such as Dryden, Etherege, Wycherley and Shadwell. This is how he came to compose the music and the songs for the play The Libertine by Thomas Shadwell. In accordance with the taste of the time, his compositions favour more the dramatic poem rather than the music, but it doesn't stop them from showing evidence of resourcefulness in their melody and rhythm.
Besides music for the stage, Purcell is also an author of religious and Court music. His work is abundant and illustrates many genres and styles.
He dies prematurely in 1695, without completing the operatic version of the tragedy The Indian Queen by John Dryden and Robert Howards. Purcell is considered to be one of England's greatest musical geniuses. Marked first by the English tradition then by the French opera of Lulli, his style is especially influenced by the Italian sonata. However he represents a very personal and original synthesis of this triple inheritance and he is established as a major precursor of the European musical evolution.