Henry Purcell
Master English Baroque composer, celebrated for opera and songs.
Chronology: 1659-09-10 – 1695-11-21
Origins & Early Life
Henry Purcell (, rare: ; c. 10 September 1659 – 21 November 1695) was an English composer and organist of the middle Baroque era. He was extremely prolific, his compositions including more than 100 songs, the tragic opera Dido and Aeneas, and incidental music to a version of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream called The Fairy Queen. Purcell's musical style was uniquely English, although it incorporated Italian and French elements.
Pivotal Works & Achievements
Purcell is generally considered to be one of the greatest English composers. == Life and work == === Early life === Purcell was born in St Ann's Lane, Old Pye Street, Westminster, in 1659. From that year onwards the family lived just a few hundred yards west of Westminster Abbey. The father, also Henry Purcell, had an older brother Thomas who was a musician, a gentleman of the Chapel Royal who sang at the coronation of King Charles II of England. The elder Henry had three sons: Edward, Henry and Daniel.
Enduring Legacy & Impact
The latter, the youngest, also became a prolific composer and after his brother Henry's death was to write the music for much of the final act of The Indian Queen. After their father's death in 1664, the infant Henry was placed under the guardianship of...
Source: Wikipedia