Topic: The Purcell Thread

[snyprrr]

try the viol fantazias

sounds reasonable , thanks

[Mandryka]

anything I'd like?

No yes

[Rinaldo]

Happy birthday, Henry!

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/a-C4sMI39vs" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/a-C4sMI39vs</a>

[cilgwyn]

It's not my favourite recording;but I was delighted to see that Decca Eloquence have reissued the first ever complete recording of The Fairy Queen,for the first time ever,on cd!

[snyprrr]

No yes

BUT SERIOUSLY, WHAT DO I NEED TO HEAR TO "GET" pURCELL? (whoops,sorry!!) I have those viol fantasies on deck to check, but what else? Obviously, singing will probably be out. What's a great slow movement?

[SonicMan46]

BUT SERIOUSLY, WHAT DO I NEED TO HEAR TO "GET" pURCELL? (whoops,sorry!!) I have those viol fantasies on deck to check, but what else? Obviously, singing will probably be out. What's a great slow movement?

Hey Snyprrr - well, as usual, I'm not sure what your are asking?   

How much Purcell have you heard and own?  Sounds like you want his non-vocal works - right?  If so, then the box below is a good recommendation - if fewer disks are desired, then check the previous pages in this thread - many comments already made.  Dave
.

[Mandryka]

BUT SERIOUSLY, WHAT DO I NEED TO HEAR TO "GET" pURCELL? (whoops,sorry!!) I have those viol fantasies on deck to check, but what else? Obviously, singing will probably be out. What's a great slow movement?

I think you will enjoy this

[Mandryka]

What's a great slow movement?

Purcell wrote five Pavans for consort,  I think they are rather nice. The recording to get I think is Leonhardt's, easily downloadable but maybe not easy to find on a CD apart from in some huge box of things.

[snyprrr]

Purcell wrote five Pavans for consort,  I think they are rather nice. The recording to get I think is Leonhardt's, easily downloadable but maybe not easy to find on a CD apart from in some huge box of things.

listened to a few minutes of the 'Pavane & Chaconne' in g-minor. Yea, ok, it reminds me of the French consort music I have on an old VoxBox of "French Baroque"...

I need SNOW for this kind of music!!

[Mandryka]

listened to a few minutes of the 'Pavane & Chaconne' in g-minor. Yea, ok, it reminds me of the French consort music I have on an old VoxBox of "French Baroque"...

I need SNOW for this kind of music!!

I like the early viol music, but it's very atypical of Purcell. I also think the harpsichord suites are sometimes listenable given the right mood on my part and a decent performance -- but I just don't think you will enjoy them much. The later instrumental music, sonatas, are gallant baroque, they're not my style, so I can't recommend anything. There's some good vocal music including Dido and Aeneas, but you don't want vocal music.

I just don't see you as a late Baroque person.

[Jo498]

I don't think the trio/quadro sonatas by Purcell are all that interesting but they are not "gallant late baroque", neither late nor particularly gallant. Historically they are (barely) high baroque if one takes the publication of Corelli's op.1 in 1681 as the exemplary and influential trio sonatas as the beginning of "high baroque" instrumental music. Purcell's harpsichord music and of course many brief instrumental pieces from his theatre music are far more melodic (or even gallant) than the collected chamber sonatas.

Or more practically, a fancier of Telemann's trio sonatas will probably be gravely dissappointed by Purcell's sonatas in three/four parts. I don't dare a guess whether snyppr will like them or not.

[Mandryka]

I don't think the trio/quadro sonatas by Purcell are all that interesting but they are not "gallant late baroque", neither late nor particularly gallant. Historically they are (barely) high baroque if one takes the publication of Corelli's op.1 in 1681 as the exemplary and influential trio sonatas as the beginning of "high baroque" instrumental music. Purcell's harpsichord music and of course many brief instrumental pieces from his theatre music are far more melodic (or even gallant) than the collected chamber sonatas.

Or more practically, a fancier of Telemann's trio sonatas will probably be gravely dissappointed by Purcell's sonatas in three/four parts. I don't dare a guess whether snyppr will like them or not.

I always thought there was an influence of Corelli to Purcell. For me Corelli is already gallant and late, isn't high baroque just a synonym of late baroque? And the two the same as what in French music is called clacissism?   I'm probably using the terms incorrectly, what's not gallant about the Purcell sonatas? I'd always thought that the sonata in Musical Offering was gallant too - I must just not understand the term.

Anyway I'd appreciate some clarification about these style terms.

[Biffo]

I always thought there was an influence of Corelli to Purcell. For me Corelli is already gallant and late, isn't high baroque just a synonym of late baroque? And the two the same as what in French music is called clacissism?   I'm probably using the terms incorrectly, what's not gallant about the Purcell sonatas? I'd always thought that the sonata in Musical Offering was gallant too - I must just not understand the term.

Anyway I'd appreciate some clarification about these style terms.

I had always associated 'galant' with Haydn or early Mozart or possibly J C Bach. According to Wikipedia it is a term used for music between 1720 and 1780. This book (which can be dipped into) more or less agrees but also says 'galant' was a lifestyle - my awkward paraphrase. The author also has something to say about the use of 'baroque' and 'classical' -

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005RBU93A/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

[vers la flamme]

No love for Purcell lately?

I have only Christie's Dido and Æneas in my library. It's a nice performance of this classic high Baroque opera. What are some more essential Purcell recordings? I see Robert King made a lot of them on Hyperion.

[Jo498]

Dido is his undeniable masterpiece. (There are two recordings with Christie, which one do you have?) The two great "semi-operas", King Arthur and The Fairy Queen are as good musically (and more festive/varied than the small scale Dido) but dramatically odd as most of the main action takes place outside of the musical numbers or conversely the musical numbers are given to supporting cast or certain romantic or picturesque scenes. (Admittedly I don't know the other smaller theatre music pieces like the Indian Queen not as well but I think it is generally agreed that the two mentioned before are by some margin the greatest.)
The other large body of music by Purcell is ceremonial, either explicit church music or "welcome" or birthday odes for kings and princesses etc. I think King/hyperion has the only complete set of either but there are plenty of single recordings from the likes of Gardiner, Leonhardt etc. There used to be two cheap twofers on Virgin (no warner?) mostly with Parrott that give a pretty good overview with a mix of well known and lesser known pieces. The Gardiner box contains a few recordings from his early time in the 70s when the orchestra is not entirely HIP but overall I think they are very enjoyable, incl. a very good "King Arthur" and I am not sure who's be obviously preferable for the lesser known theatre pieces. There is another box with Hogwood that is called Theatre Music and has the "lesser" theatre music, often only a handful of pieces for a play. This might be a worthy effort, but I have had this for 15 years or so and never listened to all of it...

[Biffo]

Dido is his undeniable masterpiece. (There are two recordings with Christie, which one do you have?) The two great "semi-operas", King Arthur and The Fairy Queen are as good musically (and more festive/varied than the small scale Dido) but dramatically odd as most of the main action takes place outside of the musical numbers or conversely the musical numbers are given to supporting cast or certain romantic or picturesque scenes. (Admittedly I don't know the other smaller theatre music pieces like the Indian Queen not as well but I think it is generally agreed that the two mentioned before are by some margin the greatest.)
The other large body of music by Purcell is ceremonial, either explicit church music or "welcome" or birthday odes for kings and princesses etc. I think King/hyperion has the only complete set of either but there are plenty of single recordings from the likes of Gardiner, Leonhardt etc. There used to be two cheap twofers on Virgin (no warner?) mostly with Parrott that give a pretty good overview with a mix of well known and lesser known pieces. The Gardiner box contains a few recordings from his early time in the 70s when the orchestra is not entirely HIP but overall I think they are very enjoyable, incl. a very good "King Arthur" and I am not sure who's be obviously preferable for the lesser known theatre pieces. There is another box with Hogwood that is called Theatre Music and has the "lesser" theatre music, often only a handful of pieces for a play. This might be a worthy effort, but I have had this for 15 years or so and never listened to all of it...

The Bitrhday Odes for Queen Mary are, for me, the pick of the  ceremonial odes. The problem I found was that some of them - especially Come ye Sons of Art have been recorded several times and others are much rarer. I have various recordings by Munrow, Gardiner, Pinnock and others. I tries to fill the gaps with Robert King but found him generally a dull Purcellian.

I have started working my way through the Welcome Odes performed by The Sixteen - these are mainly early works but well worth a listen.

My all time favourite is the Ode for Saint Cecilia's Day - Hail Bright Cecilia ; my favourite recording of the work is from Mackerras on DG/Archive. It is not a period instrument performance but very stylish and exhilarating.

[vers la flamme]

@Jo, I have the recording on Erato. I did really enjoy it this morning, as I listened to the whole thing for the first time. Thanks for the recs, I will look into Parrott as I've been enjoying one of his Handel recordings. Thanks a lot for all of your help lately, by the way, as I've been exploring Baroque music. Your posts have been helpful in guiding me in some interesting directions.

[Scion7]

         

[MusicTurner]

Yes, D&A would definitely be the chosen, single work by Purcell - in an oeuvre, where really impressive or catchy pieces seem rather few and far between, compared to other great composers from that period, IMHO ... I've discovered though that, like for most composers, recordings mean a lot for appreciating the music.

[vers la flamme]

Yes, D&A would definitely be the chosen, single work by Purcell - in an oeuvre, where really impressive or catchy pieces seem rather few and far between, compared to other great composers from that period, IMHO ... I've discovered though that, like for most composers, recordings mean a lot for appreciating the music.

That's a shame. I liked Dido & Aeneas, but I never like hearing that the one work I discovered and enjoyed by a new composer (new to me, that is) is far and away his or her best work.