Baroque Composer Report

Your Name: Dan Offenbacker

1. Composer's Name: Henry Purcell
2. Dates of Birth & Death: 1659-1695
3. Nationality: English
4. Was this composer known for playing one or more instruments? If so, which one(s)?
Henry Purcell is known for playing the organ.
5. List the names of three of this composer's compositions.
Dido and Aeneas
The Fairy-Queen
The Indian Queen
6. Based on the reading you did on this composer, list some important facts about his/her life or
musical career.
Henry Purcell was an organist at Westminster Abbey for over 25 years. He is renowned as one of
Englands best composers and was highly respected by the other musicians of the time. Purcell was
asked to write Odes for the Musical Society in London and his hymns are still played in English
churches today.
7. List the complete name (including any opus or catalog number) of the musical selections you
listened to and briefly describe them.
Z 626, Opera, Dido and Aeneas (by 1688)
I watched the first 10 minutes of this opera and initially I was very impressed. I had a
preconceived notion of what operas were and had disliked them without seeing them. However,
upon listening to this I found that this is much more of a musical aspect than I had expected. Before,
I thought it was mainly loud non-English singing with extremely high and low notes, but I found with
this opera the focus on the instruments and how the tempo and tone of the music dictated the
emotion gathered from the actions of the actors.
Z 860, Music for the Funeral of Queen Mary: March and Canzona (1695)
In this song, I found myself hearing a lot more from the organ and even drum than the string instruments which
had dominated the opera Dido and Aeneas. The tempo of this music was very fitting of a funeral as there were slow
tempos and deep tones, which are reminiscent of sadness. When the music increased in tempo, I never really felt a
feeling of fun and joy, but happiness and for the life of Queen Mary. I know this may sound a little weird, but I felt the
song was extremely well done because Purcell was able to put sad and happy tones without detracting from the fact
that it was a funeral for the Queen.
Z 15, Full Anthem, "Hear my prayer, O Lord" (before 1683)
I chose this song because it was different from the other two in a sense that it didnt use instruments, just
voices. It utilizes, seemingly, a church choir and is something one would hear as a hymn. After traveling to
England a year ago, this song is very similar to the songs of the church in England.