The development and contribution Purcell made to the operatic genre through his opera and dramatic works
The development and contribution Purcell made to the operatic genre through his opera and dramatic works.
Henry Purcell (1659-1695) composed music for many different genres. Among these he wrote one true opera, Dido and Aeneas (1689). He also wrote a number of dramatic works. Purcell spent the majority of his last five years composing music for the stage. The majority of Purcell’s dramatic instrumental music or songs were used in spoken plays. Purcell went on to write four semi-operas; Dioclesian (June 1690), King Arthur (May 1691), The Fairy Queen (May 1692) and The Indian Queen (1695). However, Dioclesian was his only semi-opera to be published whilst he was living (published: 1691).
This essay will explore the development and contribution he made to the operatic genre focusing especially on Dido and Aeneas and King Arthur. Purcell contributed to the development of the operatic genre in many different ways; he built on the basis Blow had made by incorporating already established forms of dramatic music to use in a single work, such as English Masque and French and Italian opera.
One skill for which Purcell is best known was his talent for word setting; he used an array of word painting techniques incorporating the meaning of the text into the music. His use of Rhythmic gesture also ties in with his gift for word setting with his clear intent to demonstrate the meaning of the English text and to build climax. He built climactic points that encouraged audiences and listeners to feel a range of emotions for the characters and through the atmospheres he created, for this he also used the technical tool of ground bass. His use of ground bass not only made opera in England more approachable by drawing from the already well established Italian styles but also formed the structure of Dido and Aeneas by having been used in three integral sections of the opera.
Before Purcell, the main operatic influences were from France and Italy. However John Blow wrote
Henry Purcell (1659-1695) composed music for many different genres. Among these he wrote one true opera, Dido and Aeneas (1689). He also wrote a number of dramatic works. Purcell spent the majority of his last five years composing music for the stage. The majority of Purcell’s dramatic instrumental music or songs were used in spoken plays. Purcell went on to write four semi-operas; Dioclesian (June 1690), King Arthur (May 1691), The Fairy Queen (May 1692) and The Indian Queen (1695). However, Dioclesian was his only semi-opera to be published whilst he was living (published: 1691).
This essay will explore the development and contribution he made to the operatic genre focusing especially on Dido and Aeneas and King Arthur. Purcell contributed to the development of the operatic genre in many different ways; he built on the basis Blow had made by incorporating already established forms of dramatic music to use in a single work, such as English Masque and French and Italian opera.
One skill for which Purcell is best known was his talent for word setting; he used an array of word painting techniques incorporating the meaning of the text into the music. His use of Rhythmic gesture also ties in with his gift for word setting with his clear intent to demonstrate the meaning of the English text and to build climax. He built climactic points that encouraged audiences and listeners to feel a range of emotions for the characters and through the atmospheres he created, for this he also used the technical tool of ground bass. His use of ground bass not only made opera in England more approachable by drawing from the already well established Italian styles but also formed the structure of Dido and Aeneas by having been used in three integral sections of the opera.
Before Purcell, the main operatic influences were from France and Italy. However John Blow wrote