Biography
Henry Purcell was born in 1659 in London and is considered the greatest English composer before the twentieth century. His opera Dido and Aeneas, presumably premiered in 1689, is the oldest masterpiece of English-language music theatre and contains with Dido's Lament one of the most moving arias in all opera literature. As organist of Westminster Abbey and court composer of King Charles II, Purcell stood at the centre of English musical life. He composed semi-operas like King Arthur and The Fairy Queen, which combine spoken drama, song, and dance in unique fashion. Purcell's music is distinguished by melodic inventiveness, harmonic boldness, and masterful text setting. His early death at only thirty-six was felt as a national loss. Purcell died in 1695 in London and was buried in Westminster Abbey.
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