celeb-db日本語
Photo of Henry Purcell

Photo: anonymous / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)

Henry Purcell

Born September 10, 1659; died November 21, 1695 (aged 36). From Westminster, United Kingdom. Composer / organist / musicologist.

Composer from United Kingdom

  • composer
  • organist
  • musicologist

Henry Purcell was born in Westminster, United Kingdom on September 10, 1659. Henry Purcell was listed as a composer, organist and musicologist. Death is recorded on November 21, 1695, at the age of 36. Credited works include Dido and Aeneas, Who can from joy refrain? and The Fairy-Queen.

My Take

Henry Purcell is honestly one of the most heartbreaking "what ifs" in all of Western music — the guy was dead at 36, and he'd already written Dido and Aeneas, The Fairy-Queen, and enough sacred anthems to fill a cathedral twice over. What gets me every time is that "When I am laid in earth" aria from Dido — that descending bass line just refuses to let you go, and Purcell wrote it in 17th-century England, before Bach, before Handel, essentially inventing an emotional vocabulary that composers would spend the next three centuries borrowing from. He was organist at the Chapel Royal and Westminster Abbey, composing for kings and theaters alike, and still somehow managed to pack more genuine feeling into a single ground bass than most composers fit in a full career. England never really produced another one like him.

This take was written by generative AI, one per person, from publicly reported facts (editorial policy). It is a reading of the record, not reporting.

1. Profile

Name (English)
Henry Purcell
Name (Japanese)
ヘンリー・パーセル
Reading
へんりー・ぱーせる
Born
September 10, 1659 – November 21, 1695
Origin
Westminster, United Kingdom
Occupation
composer / organist / musicologist / music theorist / author
Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
Virgo / Boar

2. Works & records

Filmography / notable works

CategoryTitle
Notable workDido and Aeneas
Notable workWho can from joy refrain?
Notable workThe Fairy-Queen
Notable workHail, bright Cecilia
Notable workI attempt from Love's sickness to fly
Notable workThou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts

4. About this entry

Tags

  • composer
  • organist
  • musicologist
Last updated

Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.

Frequently asked questions

When was Henry Purcell born?

Born September 10, 1659.

When did Henry Purcell die?

Died November 21, 1695, aged 36.

Where was Henry Purcell from?

Henry Purcell was from Westminster, United Kingdom.

What did Henry Purcell do?

Henry Purcell worked as composer, organist, musicologist, music theorist, author.

What was Henry Purcell known for?

Notable works include Dido and Aeneas, Who can from joy refrain?, The Fairy-Queen.

Composer — see all → · Organist — see all → · More people from the United Kingdom →