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 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Destruction's Our Delight | — | — | — | Choir | Classical | 5 |
| To The Hills And The Vales | — | — | — | Choir | Classical | 5 |
| When Monarchs Unite | — | — | — | Choir | Classical | 5 |
| Complete Keyboard Works | — | — | — | harpsichord | Classical | 3 |
| Dido and Aeneas | 1677-88Wikidata | — | — | Vocal, Orchestra | Classical | 4 |
| Fantazia | 1678 ca.IMSLP | — | — | Basso continuo | Classical | 4 |
| Trio Sonata No.9 in F for Two Violins and Continuo, Z.810 | — | — | — | Basso continuo | Classical | 4 |
| Trumpet Tune: Clarine | — | — | — | — | — | 2 |
| Trumpet Tune: Flute, Tenor Sax, Trumpet, Pian | — | — | — | — | — | 4 |
| Abdelazar: Festival Rondea | — | — | — | — | — | 3 |
| The Fairy Queen | — | — | — | Tenor, Choir, Alto | Classical | 4 |
| Thrice happy Lovers | — | — | — | Voice, Voice High, Low Voice | Classical | 5 |
| From Rosy Bowers | — | — | — | Low Voice | Classical | 6 |
| Hark! How All Things | — | — | — | Low Voice | Classical | 5 |
| 2. Ye Twice Ten Hundred deities | — | — | — | Voice | Classical | 3 |
| 4. Arise, Ye Subterranean Winds | — | — | — | — | Classical | 4 |
| Love Quickly Is Pall'd | — | — | — | Piano, bass, Tenor, Choir, Alto, Voice High, Low Voice | Classical | 7 |
| Jig in G minor from The Fairy Queen | — | — | G minor | Piano, harpsichord | Classical | 5 |
| 35. Chorus: Great Minds | — | — | — | Choir | Classical | 4 |
| Remember not, Lord, our offences | — | — | — | Voice, Choir | Classical | 5 |
| Lord, how long wilt thou be angry | — | — | — | Voice, Tenor, Choir, Alto | Classical | 4 |
| Minuet I | — | — | — | Piano, Organ, Guitar, Flute, Voice | Classical | 4 |
| There's not a swain of the plain | — | — | — | Voice, Voice High, Low Voice | Classical | 8 |
| Hark! How All Things With One Sound Rejoice (The Fairy Queen) | — | — | — | Piano, Voice, Voice High, Low Voice | Classical | 2 |
| I See She Flies Me Ev'rywhere (Aureng-zebe) | — | — | — | Voice High, Low Voice | Classical | 3 |
| One Charming Night Gives More Delight (The Fairy Queen) | — | — | — | Voice High, Low Voice | Classical | 4 |
| Since From My Dear Astraea's Sight (Dioclesian) | — | — | — | Voice High, Low Voice | Classical | 3 |
| Soft Notes and gently rais'd | — | — | — | Flute, Recorder | Classical | 4 |
| Prelude in C for the fingering | — | — | — | Piano | — | 4 |
| 4. Suite IV | — | — | — | Piano, harpsichord, Recorder | Classical | 3 |
| Suite V In C | — | — | — | Piano, Organ | Classical | 5 |
| Almand | — | — | — | Piano, Organ, harpsichord | Classical | 5 |
| 2. Suite VII | — | — | — | Piano, harpsichord | Classical | 4 |
| No, Resistance Is But Vain | — | — | — | Piano, Organ, Voice | Classical | 6 |
| Hark! How The Songsters Of The Grove | — | — | — | Piano, Organ, Voice, bass, Tenor, Choir, Alto | Classical | 2 |
| Let Caesar And Urania Live | — | — | — | Piano, Organ, Voice | Classical | 3 |
| i. Song Tune | — | — | — | Piano, harpsichord | Classical | 4 |
| Thou Knowest, Lord | — | — | — | Piano, Choir | Classical, pop | 4 |
| Harmonized Melodies (Rigadoon) | — | — | — | Piano | Classical | 4 |
| We Wish You a Merry Christmas | — | — | — | Piano, Cello | Classical | 4 |
| Rejoice in the Lord Alway | — | — | — | Organ, Voice, bass, Tenor, Alto | Classical | 3 |
| Funeral Sentences | — | — | — | Organ | Classical | 3 |
| In The Vain The Am'rous Flute | — | — | — | Organ, bass, Tenor, Alto | Classical | 3 |
| Let These Amongst Themselves Contest | — | — | — | Organ, bass, Tenor, Alto | Classical | 3 |
| The Airy Violin | — | — | — | Organ, Voice, bass, Tenor, Choir, Alto | Classical | 5 |
| The Fife And All The Harmony Of War | — | — | — | Organ, Voice, bass, Tenor, Choir, Alto | Classical | 4 |
| Remember Not O Lord, Our Offences | — | — | — | Tenor, Alto | Classical | 2 |
| From Silent Shades | — | — | — | harpsichord, Voice | Classical | 4 |
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.