Photo: anonymous / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
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
| Category | Title |
|---|---|
| Notable work | Dido and Aeneas |
| Notable work | Who can from joy refrain? |
| Notable work | The Fairy-Queen |
| Notable work | Hail, bright Cecilia |
| Notable work | I attempt from Love's sickness to fly |
| Notable work | Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts |
3. Links
- Official sitehttp://www.henrypurcell.org.uk
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry%20Purcell
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%98%E3%83%B3%E3%83%AA%E3%83%BC%E3%83%BB%E3%83%91%E3%83%BC%E3%82%BB%E3%83%AB
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9695
4. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
Only publicly available facts are listed; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. Base data was compiled from Wikidata from June 2026 onward; ages are recalculated daily and deaths are checked against Wikidata on an ongoing basis. 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?
Henry Purcell was born on September 10, 1659.
When did Henry Purcell die?
Henry Purcell died on 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?
Henry Purcell's 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 → · More people born on September 10 →