Henry Purcell (1659-1695)

Purcell was a British composer who lived in London all of his life. He worked and composed for three kings over 25 years of his short life, including Charles II.  Purcell wrote music for voice, choir, orchestra, and his music was used in church services, court orchestra and opera; as well as  incidental music for theatre, often in Shakespeare productions.

Purcell’s 15 fantasias for viol consort range from three to seven players.  He was only twenty-one years old when he composed the 15 fantasias in a burst of creativity, during the summer of 1680; they were “private” pieces, not played during his lifetime and not published until 1927. The fantasias are full of melancholy, dance and invention, and have often been compared to JS Bach’s Art of the Fugue.