• Name: Henry Purcell
• Birthday: 1659
• Birth Place: London, England
• Died: 11/21/1695
• Place of Death: London, England
• Period: Baroque
• Genre: Classical

Title	Release
England, My England	1999
Dido & Aeneas	1993
Consort Music for Strings and Harpsichord
(168) Dido and Aeneas, opera, Z. 626
(136) The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629
(2) Sonata for violin & continuo in A minor (attributed; Taphouse MS)	2000
'Tis wine was made to rule the day, for soprano, chorus & continuo, Z. 546	1973
(3) 'Tis women makes us love, catch for 4 voices, Z. 281	1984
(6) 'Twas within a furlong (from "Mock Marriage"), song, Z. 605/2	1994
A Fool's Preferment, or, The Three Dukes of Dunstable, incidental music, Z. 571 W	1974
A health to the nut-brown lass, catch, for 4 voices, Z. 240	1976
(34) A New Ground (from "Welcome to All the Pleasures"), for harpsichord in E minor, ZT 682	1993
(24) A New Irish Tune ("Lilliburlero"), for harpsichord in G major, Z. 646	1999
(4) A New Minuet for harpsichord in D minor, ZT 689	2007
(11) A New Scotch Tune, for harpsichord in G major, Z. 655	1995
(2) A thousand sev'ral ways I tried to hide, Z. 459	2002
(3) A thousand sev'ral ways I tried, song, Z. 359	1976
A thousand thousand ways we'll find (from "The Fairy Queen"), aria & chorus, Z. 629/25	1973
(95) Abdelazer, or, the Moor's Revenge, incidental music, Z. 570	1980
(2) Ah cruel, bloody fate (from "Theodosius"), song, Z. 606/9	1995
(4) Ah! Belinda I am pressed with torment (from "Dido and Aeneas"), aria for soprano, Z. 626/3 WA	1992
(6) Ah! cruel nymph! you give despair for soprano & continuo, Z. 352	1977
(7) Ah! how pleasant 'tis to love, for soprano & continuo, Z. 353	1999
(11) Ah! How sweet it is to love (from "Tyrannic Love"), song, Z. 613/2	1988
(2) Air (from "Amphitryon" (as Z. 592/7)) for harpsichord in D minor, ZT 676	2007
(2) Air for harpsichord in D minor (from "The Indian Queen"), ZT 675	2007
(2) Air for harpsichord in D minor, ZT 696/1	1995
(2) Air for harpsichord in D minor, ZT 696/2	2007
(6) Air for harpsichord in G major, Z. 641
(5) Air for keyboard in C major (discovered in 1993)	1995
(2) Air for keyboard in G minor, ZT 693/2	2007
(4) Air, transcription for harpsichord in G minor (from "The Virtuous Wife," Z. 611/9; British Library Purcell MS)	1995
(4) Air, transcription for keyboard in C major (from "The Double Dealer," Z. 592/9; British Library Purcell MS)	1995
(2) Almand for keyboard in D major, ZD 219/1 (doubtful)	2007
(2) Almand/Corant/Saraband for harpsichord in B flat major, Z. 664	2007
(6) Amidst the shades and cool and refreshing streams, for soprano & continuo, Z. 355	1994
(2) Amintas, to my grief I see, for soprano & continuo, Z. 356	1993
(2) Amintor, heedless of his flocks, for soprano & continuo, Z. 357	1993
(10) Amphitryon, or, the Two Sosias, incidental music, Z. 572
An ape, a lion, a fox, and an ass, catch for 3 voices, Z. 241
(3) Anacreon's defeat ("This poet sings the Trojan Wars"), song, Z. 423	1976
(4) Arise, my muse (Ode for Queen Mary's Birthday), for soloists, chorus & instruments, Z. 320	1988
Arise, ye subterranean winds (from "The Tempest"), bass aria, Z. 631/3	1973
(3) As Amoret and Thirsis lay, song (from "The Old Bachelor"), Z. 607/11 WA	1982
As Roger last night to Jenny lay close, catch for 3 voices, Z. 242
(2) Ask me to love no more, song, for soprano & continuo, Z. 358	1993
Aureng-Zebe, or, the Great Mogul, incidental music, Z. 573 WA	1974
(3) Awake, and with attention hear, sacred song, for bass & continuo, Z. 181	1994
(2) Awake, put on thy strength, anthem, for 2 altos, bass, violins, viola & continuo (unfinished), Z. 1 WA	1993
(5) Awake, ye dead, sacred song, for 2 basses & continuo, Z. 182	1994
(5) Bacchus is a power divine, song, Z. 360	1994
(2) Be merciful unto me, anthem, for alto, tenor, bass, chorus & continuo, Z. 4 WA	1993
(7) Beati omnes, hymn, for soprano, bass, chorus & continuo, Z. 131	2009

As England's greatest composer of the baroque , Henry Purcell was dubbed the "Orpheus Britannicus" for his ability to combine pungent English counterpoint with expressive, flexible, and dramatic word settings. While he did write instrumental music, including the important viol fantasias, the vast majority of his output was in the vocal/choral realm. His only opera , Dido and Aeneas, divulged his sheer mastery in the handling of the work's vast expressive canvas, which included lively dance numbers, passionate arias and rollicking choruses. Purcell also wrote much incidental music for stage productions, including that for Dryden's King Arthur. His church music includes many anthems, devotional songs, and other sacred works, but few items for Anglican services.

Purcell was born in 1659 to Henry Purcell, master of choristers at Westminster Abbey, and his wife Elizabeth. When he was five, his father died, forcing his mother to resettle the family of six children into a more modest house and lifestyle. In about 1668, Purcell became a chorister in the Chapel Royal, studying under chorus master Henry Cooke. He also took keyboard lessons from Christopher Gibbons, son of the composer Orlando Gibbons, and it is likely that he studied with John Blow and Matthew Locke. In 1673, Purcell was appointed assistant to John Hingeston, the royal instrument keeper.

On September 10, 1677, Purcell was given the Court position of composer-in-ordinary for the violins. It is believed that many of his church works date from this time. Purcell, a great keyboard virtuoso by his late teens, received a second important post in 1679, this one succeeding Blow as organist at Westminster Abbey, a position he would retain all his life. That same year saw the publication of five of the young composer's songs in John Playford's -Choice Ayres and Songs to Sing to the Theorbo-lute or Bass-viol. Around the same time, he began writing anthems with string accompaniment, completing over a dozen before 1685, and welcome songs. Purcell was appointed one of three organists at the Chapel Royal in the summer of 1682, his most prestigious post yet.

Purcell composed his first ode for St. Cecilia's Day in 1683. The following month, upon Hingeston's death, he was named royal instrument keeper while retaining his other posts. The composer remained quite prolific in the middle part of the decade, primarily producing music for royal occasions. In 1685 the new King, James II, introduced many changes at Court, one of which was to make Purcell the Court harpsichordist and Blow the Court composer. Near the end of 1687, Queen Mary's pregnancy was announced and Purcell was commissioned to compose an anthem for Psalm 128, Blessed are they that fear the Lord. Many other of his anthems appeared in 1688, as did one of his more famous ones for church use, O sing unto the Lord.

With the ascension of William and Mary to the throne on April 11, 1689, Purcell retained his post as royal instrument keeper, and he, along with Blow and Alexander Damazene, shared the duties of Court composers. With his royal duties reduced, he was able to pursue other opportunities, including teaching and writing for other organizations. One of Purcell's greatest successes came in 1689 with the production of Dido and Aeneas. He then collaborated with John Dryden on King Arthur in 1691, and also composed the music for The Fairy-Queen (1692), based on Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream both productions also scoring triumphs. In the final year of his life Purcell remained exceedingly busy, writing much for the stage, including The Indian Queen, left incomplete at his death on November 21, 1695. ~ Robert Cummings, All Music Guide