''Orpheus Britannicus'' is a collection of

song A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetit ...

s by Henry Purcell, published posthumously in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

in two volumes, the first in 1698 and the second in 1702. In the preface to the first volume,

Henry Playford Henry Playford (1657 – c. 1707) was an English music publisher, the younger son and only known surviving child of John Playford, with whom he entered business. His father died around 1686, but for some time before that he was in poor health. Hen ...

, the printer of the volume and the son of

John Playford John Playford (1623–1686/7) was a London bookseller, publisher, minor composer, and member of the Stationers' Company, who published books on music theory, instruction books for several instruments, and psalters with tunes for singing in churc ...

, the famous printer and publisher of music books, extolls Purcell's skill as setter of English texts. The portrait on the frontispiece was based on

John Closterman John Closterman (also spelt Cloosterman, Klosterman; 1660 – 24 May 1711 (buried)) was a Westphalian portrait painter of the late 17th and early 18th centuries. His subjects were mostly European noblemen and their families. Career Born in Osn ...

's portrait of Purcell, currently in the National Portrait Gallery. The first publication of a section of Purcell's opera ''

Dido and Aeneas ''Dido and Aeneas'' (Z. 626) is an opera in a prologue and three acts, written by the English Baroque composer Henry Purcell with a libretto by Nahum Tate. The dates of the composition and first performance of the opera are uncertain. It was com ...

'' was the air "Ah! Belinda" in ''Orpheus Britannicus'', transposed up one step, from C to D. Henry Hall, who had studied composition with Purcell under

John Blow John Blow (baptised 23 February 1649 – 1 October 1708) was an English composer and organist of the Baroque period. Appointed organist of Westminster Abbey in late 1668,William Pearson utilized a new style of music printing to great success, where the notehead was in one piece with the background staff.{{Dubious, date=August 2011 John Blow's ''Amphion Anglicus'' (1700), a collection of Blow's songs, excerpts from odes, and chamber music, was published by subscription, after ''Orpheus Britannicus success, and even shows a certain symmetry in title. A later engraver, Cole Benjamin (''fl'' 1740–1760), printed as ''Orpheus Britannicus'' a seemingly unrelated set of engravings which he had made originally for ''The New Universal Magazine'' (1751–9).

Benjamin Britten Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976, aged 63) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, other ...

, working with

Peter Pears Sir Peter Neville Luard Pears ( ; 22 June 19103 April 1986) was an English tenor. His career was closely associated with the composer Benjamin Britten, his personal and professional partner for nearly forty years. Pears' musical career starte ...

, realized (arranged) and edited a number of songs from ''Orpheus Britannicus'' for both solo singer with piano as part of '' Britten's Purcell Realizations''.Britten

References

* Stanley Boorman. "Printing and Publishing of Music: 3. Printing from type (ii) Early History", '' Grove Music Online'', ed. L. Macy (accessed November 30, 2006)
grovemusic.com
(subscription access). *Peter Holman, Robert Thompson. "Henry Purcell", '' Grove Music Online'', ed. L. Macy (accessed November 30, 2006)
grovemusic.com
(subscription access). *Bruce Wood. "Henry Hall (i)", '' Grove Music Online'', ed. L. Macy (accessed November 30, 2006)
grovemusic.com
(subscription access). *Curtis Price. "Dido and Aeneas", '' Grove Music Online'', ed. L. Macy (accessed November 30, 2006)
grovemusic.com
(subscription access). *Bruce Wood. "John Blow: 1.Life", '' Grove Music Online'', ed. L. Macy (accessed November 30, 2006)
grovemusic.com
(subscription access). *Jennifer Doctor, Judith LeGrove, Paul Banks. "Benjamin Britten: Arrangements by Britten: Purcell Realizations and Editions", '' Grove Music Online'', ed. L. Macy (accessed November 30, 2006)
grovemusic.com
(subscription access).

Notes

Music books