Henry Purcell

Henry Purcell

Henry Purcell
  The Baroque period brought forth changes in art, music, architecture, and literature.   Baroque art reflected the growth of absolutist monarchies and their power.   Painters, sculptors, and architects rummaged emotion, movement, and variety in their works.   Some of the most famous Baroque painters were Peter Paul Rubens, Gianlorenzo Bernini, and Georg Flegel.   The major English writers of the Baroque period included the metaphysical poets, of which the most famous was John Donne, who were known for their unusual use of metaphors and phrases.   Baroque architecture was characterized by emphasis placed on bold massing, colonnades, domes, light-and-shade, 'painterly' color effects, and the bold play of volume and void.   The emergence of Baroque architecture was integrally enmeshed with the rise of European colonialism.     The Baroque period of music saw the development of functional tonality.   During this period, composers and performers used more elaborate musical ornamentation, made changes in musical notation, and developed new instrumental playing techniques.   Henry Purcell was one of the greatest and the most original composer of his day.   Considered one of England’s finest composers, Purcell incorporated Italian and French stylistic elements into his compositions but ultimately devised a peculiarly English style of Baroque music.
Purcell was born in St Ann's Lane, Old Pye Street, Westminster on September 10, 1659. His father, Henry Purcell was a gentleman of the Chapel Royal, and sang at the coronation of King Charles II of England.   After his father's death in 1664, young Henry Purcell was placed under the guardianship of his uncle, Thomas Purcell. Thomas was a gentleman of His Majesty's chapel, and arranged for Henry to be admitted as a chorister in the Chapel Royal.   Henry studied first under Captain Henry Cooke, Master of the Children, who was the person appointed by the King in charge of training and educating choir boys, and afterwards...