Henry_Purcell

Henry Purcell Henry Purcell Born in 1659, Henry Purcell was the finest and most original composer of his day. He lived a very short life; he died in 1695. Though his life was short he was able to enjoy and make full use of the transformed flowering of music after the Restoration of the Monarchy. As the son of a musician at Court, a chorister at the Chapel Royal, Henry Purcell worked in Westminster for three different kings over twenty-five years. In the Chapel Royal young Henry Purcell studied with Dr. John Blow. Legend has is that when, in 1679, Purcell succeeded Dr. Blow as organist of Westminster Abbey, the elder musician stepped aside in recognition of the greater genius. It is true that on Purcell’s death in 1695 Blow returned to the place of duty, and would write a dignified Ode on the Death of Purcell. In addition to his majestic duties Henry Purcell also dedicated much of his talent to writing operas, or rather melodious dramas, and incidental stage music. He would also write chamber music in the form purcell, music, henry, write, theatre, london, blow, 1695, years, westminster, society, short, royal, restoration, purcell’s, public, ode, musician, musical, much, life, dr, death, chapel, young, written, writing, worked, within, widow, whole, viewed, very, upon, two