Henry Purcell

Henry Purcell (1659-95) died at the age of 36 and was England's (only) great composer. To paraphrase a remark by Handel: "If he had lived longer, we would all be out of a job". His music is characterised by great harmonic daring, with strange harmonies that often make the late quartets of Beethoven sound conventional by comparison. Above all, his is pure music and makes us conscious of how music, after 1800, became less concerned with pure pleasure and began to gravitate towards emotions and personal statements. Purcell composed for his 17th century audience operas, masques, sonatas, trios, choral works, songs and, picking up a music form already antiquated at the time, Fantasias for the Viols (1680). Viol consorts were dated by 1680. As a change from violin music, I have been listening to the Fantasias as recorded by Jordi Savall and Hespèrion XX in 1994 with an all-star cast including Wieland Kuijken and Philippe Pierlot.

The music is never boring or routine; the tempi and harmonies are in constant flux with these early precursors of the classical string quartet. The CD ends with the In Nomine in 7 parts. Most of the Fantasias are in four parts, with a few in three parts. Think string trios, or string quartets. I first came across the Fantasias when I was around 15 years old and gave one of my sisters a 10" LP of the music, played by I forget whom. I have kept lovingly in touch with them ever since. The music is remarkable, and unforgettable; always highly contrapuntal, and often almost dodecaphonic years before its time. No wonder Handel was an admirer. Purcell is mainly known now for his opera Dido and Aeneas; but even given his short life, there is so much more of his music to admire and love. When I have finished with the Fantasias, I'll start back on his songs, of which there are many and of which he was a master.