Composer
Henry Purcell
1659–1695
1,644 works in the index
- Born
- 1659
- Died
- 1695
- Birthplace
- Westminster
- Citizenship / historical state
- Kingdom of England
- Period (estimated from birth year)
- Baroque
Biography
Purcell is the last great English composer before the twentieth century and wrote for a world of theatre music, court odes and church anthems that no longer exists, which makes the practical repertoire smaller than the catalogue suggests.
What singers actually use are the songs and the Dido and Aeneas arias, and 'When I am laid in earth' is one of the most-performed pieces in this index. Keyboard players have the harpsichord suites and the grounds, several of which are accessible early. Choirs have the anthems and the funeral music.
His notation leaves ornaments and continuo to convention even more than his continental contemporaries, so editions differ substantially. For the songs in particular, a realised edition with a written-out keyboard part is worth having unless you are able to play from a figured bass.
In this catalogue
- Common listed instruments
- Voice, Piano, harpsichord, Organ, Choir
- Genres represented
- Classical, pop, Baroque, Pop, Latin
- Works with composition dates
- 12 of 1,644
These details describe the indexed sheet music, including arrangements.
Catalogue
Works page 35 of 35
Years are composition dates where known. Instruments describe editions in our catalogue and may include arrangements. A dash means the detail is not recorded.
| Work | Year composed | Catalogue / opus | Key in title | Listed instruments | Genre | Editions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air in D major from The Gordion Knot Unty'd | — | — | D major | Piano | — | 1 |
| Rondeau Minuet in G minor from The Gordion Knot Unty'd | — | — | G minor | Piano | — | 1 |
| Air in D major from The Rival Sisters | — | — | D major | Piano | — | 1 |
| Slow Air in C minor from The Virtuous Wife | — | — | C minor | Piano | — | 1 |
| Boree in D major from The Rival Sisters | — | — | D major | Piano | — | 1 |
| Hornpipe in F major from The Married Beau | — | — | F major | Piano | — | 1 |
| Boree in G minor from The Virtuous Wife | — | — | G minor | Piano | — | 1 |
| Hornpipe on a Ground in C major from The Married Beau | — | — | C major | Piano | — | 1 |
| Trumpet Call | — | — | — | Piano | Classical | 1 |
| Two Famous Trumpet Tunes | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
| Rondeau for Saxophone Quartet | — | — | — | Saxophone | — | 1 |
| Purcell Rondo from Abdelazar, for string quartet, CP101 | — | — | — | Cello, violin, String Quartet, Viola | — | 1 |
Biographical record: Wikidata, matched on name and checked against dates held in the catalogue. The period label is an estimate from birth year. The biography above is our own. Authority record: VIAF 5118737. Portrait: anonymous, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.