The Project Gutenberg EBook of Purcell, by John F. Runciman

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Title: Purcell

Author: John F. Runciman

Release Date: December 23, 2004 [EBook #14430]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PURCELL ***

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PURCELL

BY JOHN F. RUNCIMAN

Bell's Miniature Series of Musicians

LONDON
GEORGE BELL & SONS
1909

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER I
CHAPTER II
CHAPTER III
CHAPTER IV
CHAPTER V
LIST OF WORKS

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

HENRY PURCELL
_(From the portrait by Kneller, in the possession of
Henry Littleton, Esq.)_

PURCELL
_(From a portrait by Clostermann, in the National
Portrait Gallery.)_

PURCELL SEATED AT THE HARPSICHORD
_(From a portrait by Clostermann, in the National
Portrait Gallery.)_

PURCELL
_(From an engraving after a portrait by Clostermann
in the possession of the Royal Society of Musicians.)_

PART OF THE AUTOGRAPH SCORE OF
PURCELL'S ANTHEM "BEHOLD, NOW PRAISE THE LORD"
_(In the British Museum.)_

CHAPTER I

We once had a glorious school of composers. It departed, with no sunset
splendour on it, nor even the comfortable ripe tints of autumn. The sun
of the young morning shone on its close; the dews of dawn gleam for ever
on the last music; the freshness and purity of the air of early morning
linger about it. It closed with Purcell, and it is no hyperbole to say
the note that distinguishes Purcell's music from all other music in the
world is the note of spring freshness. The dewy sweetness of the morning
air is in it, and the fragrance of spring flowers. The brown sheets on
which the notes are printed have lain amongst the dust for a couple of
centuries; they are musty and mildewed. Set the sheets on a piano and
play: the music starts to life in full youthful vigour, as music from
the soul of a young god should. It cannot and never will grow old; the
everlasting life is in it that makes the green buds shoot. To realise
the immortal youth of Purcell's music, let us make a comparison.
Consider Mozart, divine Mozart. Mixed with the ineffable beauty of his
music t