Purcell: Close thine eyes and sleep secure, Z184 (Upon a quiet conscience)

Henry Purcell is regarded as the first great master of English Baroque music, and his works find their best interpreters today in Andrew Parrott and his ensemble. Purcell's oeuvre features splendid works written for festive occasions at court as well as dramatic operas and melancholy lute songs. This recording offers a representative cross-section of the composer's work, whose popularity remains unbroken.

A collection of Purcell’s songs and sacred arias given by the Deller Consort. 12 of the 18 tracks feature the inimitable voice of Alfred Deller.

'The most remarkable countertenor of the 20th Century' Sir Michael Tippett

The myth of Purcell, the 'Orpheus Britannicus', the most important musician born in England before Britten in the 20th century, is strengthened also by its likening to the biography of Mozart: they died a century apart at less than 36 years of age and produced in such a short time a staggering number of compositions: 626 works for the Austrian, 871 for the Englishman.

The pieces chosen for this CD illustrate precisely an intimate repertory, with no division between sacred and profane, in the same ideal arrangement together with instrumental pieces of Purcell’s contemporaries, precisely the way in which it might happen in London in a private performance of the time. These composers are John Banister (pioneer of music for the violin at the court of Charles II, died in 1679), Gottfried or Godfrey Finger (Moravian violinist and composer who lived until 1730) and Antony Poole (almost unknown Jesuit and musician formed in Spanish Flanders and who lived until 1692), the last two active at the court of James II (1685-88) and thus colleagues of the 25-year-old Henry. Purcell himself is well represented with some of his instrumental compositions including the famous set of variations 'Two in one upon a ground', a chaconne taken from the third act of 'The Prophetess', or 'The History of Dioclesian' (1690), which in this recording uses an unpublished lute part taken from a manuscript now in Poznan in Poland.

Recording made in 1994.

Gramophone magazine ‘Editor’s Choice’ in July 1995.

2009 is the 350th anniversary of Purcell’s birth, and his music will be the focus of much attention in the media and in live performance.

Paul McCreesh and the Gabrieli Consort are supreme in this repertoire.

Purcell was not just a creature of the theatre – his genius with the human voice extended to secular songs and Odes for Queen Mary. Less familiar are his sacred songs. Although some appeared in John Playford’s Harmonia Sacra of 1688 and 1693, many remained in manuscript and known only to a select few. There is some credence to the thought that Purcell intended them for an elite group. The choice of text is fastidious, and probably points towards a discerning friend in the court musical circles. For example, the metaphysical poets were out of fashion at this time, but whoever Purcell’s intended audience was, such poets remained a firm favourite for the composer. Other texts are by his contemporaries at court, lavished with as much care and attention as the settings from the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer. The settings are scored for small forces – one to two voices, accompanied by continuo. The emotional range, however, is huge, with contemplative and introspective songs rubbing shoulders with numbers such as ‘O, I’m sick of life’, where the singer rails against a cruel avenging God. In the setting ‘In guilty night’ or ‘Saul and the Witch of Endor’, you can sense the world of opera is never far away. This recording intersperses the sacred songs with organ works – Purcell was one of the most brilliant organists of his day, but surprisingly he only left about six works for the instrument.

“Come ye Sons of Art is splendidly paired here with the unforgettable funeral music… With the Monteverdi Choir at its most incisive and understanding the performances are exemplary…” Penguin Guide 08 *** Key recording

Known as the ‘English Orpheus’, Henry Purcell, born in London in 1659, began his career as a chorister in the Chapel Royal, an appointment that was to mark the start of his life‐long commitment to the monarchy. Today his music occupies a central position in British culture and is celebrated for its exquisite word‐setting, abundant use of expression and attractive melody; comprising 16 CDs, this compilation pays homage to a composer who, in spite of assimilating the then predominant French and Italian styles, was able to create a uniquely English form of Baroque music.

The collection effectively traces the length and breadth of Purcell’s output, from the many sacred works he was required to provide for state occasion and worship (‘Hear My Prayer, O Lord’ and ‘Hail! bright Cecilia’, among others) to secular instrumental and vocal music, written for domestic pleasure as well as the theatre.

Semi‐operas, anthems, odes, suites, songs, fantasias: Purcell’s oeuvre was a vast and pioneering one – all the more impressive in view of his untimely death – and the collection presents a selection of his most famous creations (Dido and Aeneas, for example whose first known performance was at a girls’ boarding school in Chelsea) alongside works which are not so widely known.

With its veritable Astar list of performers and ensembles, this is the perfect compilation for anyone wishing to explore Purcell’s music in greater depth. Who knows what else Purcell may have achieved, had he lived beyond the tender age of 36: this collection is a testament to his indefatigable genius, one which Britain lacked until the arrival of Elgar two centuries later.