As England's greatest composer of the Baroque, Henry
Purcell was dubbed the "Orpheus Britannicus" for his
ability to combine pungent English counterpoint with
expressive, flexible, and dramatic word settings. While
he did write instrumental music, including the
important viol fantasias, the vast majority of his
output was in the vocal/choral realm. His only opera,
Dido and Aeneas, divulged his sheer mastery in the
handling of the work's vast expressive canvas, which
included lively dance numbers...(+)
As England's greatest composer of the Baroque, Henry
Purcell was dubbed the "Orpheus Britannicus" for his
ability to combine pungent English counterpoint with
expressive, flexible, and dramatic word settings. While
he did write instrumental music, including the
important viol fantasias, the vast majority of his
output was in the vocal/choral realm. His only opera,
Dido and Aeneas, divulged his sheer mastery in the
handling of the work's vast expressive canvas, which
included lively dance numbers, passionate arias and
rollicking choruses. Purcell also wrote much incidental
music for stage productions, including that for
Dryden's King Arthur. His church music includes many
anthems, devotional songs, and other sacred works, but
few items for Anglican services.
Purcell was born in 1659 to Henry Purcell, master of
choristers at Westminster Abbey, and his wife
Elizabeth. When he was five, his father died, forcing
his mother to resettle the family of six children into
a more modest house and lifestyle. In about 1668,
Purcell became a chorister in the Chapel Royal,
studying under chorus master Henry Cooke. He also took
keyboard lessons from Christopher Gibbons, son of the
composer Orlando Gibbons, and it is likely that he
studied with John Blow and Matthew Locke. In 1673,
Purcell was appointed assistant to John Hingeston, the
royal instrument keeper.
Welcome to All the Pleasures is one of the Odes written
for the celebration of St. Cecilia's Day by Henry
Purcell. The libretto is by Christopher Fishburn.
Purcell had been writing Odes for the Royal Family
since 1680, but in 1683 the Musical Society of London
commissioned him to write an ode in honor of the public
celebration of the feast of St. Cecilia. The "Musical
Society" was a group of amateur and professional
musicians that had organized a festival for the "great
patroness of music." It was the first year of their
festival and Purcell was their first commissioned
composer. Purcell composed the work for three solo
voices, chorus, four-part strings, and continuo.
Formally, he produces a concerto grosso effect when he
balances the trio of voices (concertino) against the
chorus and orchestra (ripieno).
The opening symphony has two movements; one maestoso
and the second vivace. The maestoso is full of
suspensions and canonic entrances and has a full
texture. The vivace is contrapuntal throughout. The
words "Welcome to all the Pleasures" are set on
imitative entrances. When each voice proclaims
"Welcome!," an echo of invitations is produced. "Hail
Great Assembly" breaks out in fugal style. The movement
ends with an instrumental ritornello.
Here the Deities Approve is a countertenor solo written
over a three measure ground bass. The vocal line is
lyrical and plastic; the countertenor soars above the
rest of the ensemble. There follows a string
ritornello. Throughout this ode Purcell uses
instruments at least as much as the voices. While joys
Celestial sets joys on dotted rhythmic figures, and
places the word "Celestial" on a falling, augmented
dotted figure. The effect is joyful and celestial. Then
there follows an instrumental ritornello based on the
dotted rhythmic theme. Purcell imitates and varies this
theme within a highly contrapuntal texture.
Then Lift up your Voices features a solo and chorus.
Again the chorus begins with imitative entrances, but
eventually comes together in homophony. Afterwards
there is a solo harpsichord interlude, which can be
played extemporaneously, making for a beautiful respite
from the rest of the ode. Beauty, thou scene of love is
a beautiful tenor solo. The solo is in two sections,
the first of which is repeated. The ritornello takes
over the solo line from the tenor voice as Purcell sets
it in an inventive four-part contrapuntal style.
In a consort of voices has a diatonic, joyful melody in
E major, and adds a bright feeling to the movement. The
tenor voice has a solo based on the opening theme, and
soon the chorus enters canonically. One of the most
striking aspects of this movement is Purcell's setting
of the name "Cecilia," which he repeats many times in
all the voices and registers. He sets the music to the
sound of the word. He ends the piece by having the
singers drop out one by one, starting with the treble
voices. Finally the bass is left alone to quietly sing
the final "Ce-cil-ia."
Source: AllMusic
(https://www.allmusic.com/composition/welcome-to-all-th
e-pleasures-an-ode-for-st-cecilias-day-for-soloists-cho
rus-instruments-z-339-mc0002373137).
Although originally composed for Voices, Mixed Chorus,
Strings and Continuo, I created this interpretation of
"Welcome to All the Pleasures" (Z.339 No. 1) for Winds
(Flute, Oboe, French Horn & Bassoon) & Strings (2
Violins, Viola & Cello).