John Blow’s Ode to the Death of Purcell

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John Blow: An ode on the death of Mr Henry Purcell (Hyperion)

For a brief window in the 1690s – until the night Mrs Purcell shut her husband out in the cold – London was the go-to place for young composers in search of top tuition and an appreciative audience. Italians like Arcangelo Corelli were keen to study with Henry Purcell and English composers grew in confidence. Then, one November night in 1695, Mrs P decided not to stay up til her old man got back from the theatre and poor Henry caught cold and died, or so the story goes. Two centuries would elapse before England bred another composer of his quality.

John Blow (1649-1708) was Purcell’s early teacher and an established composer in his own right. His musical response to the tragedy was partly competitive – others were also producing Purcell laments – but also discerably personal. In the spirit of the times Blow does not indulge in an excess of grief. His arias, written for two countertenors, are free of the stuffiness of church odes. Blow uses the metaphor of birdsong to evoke Purcell’s soul rising to heaven. In The Power of Harmony he cheekily quotes a phrase of Dido’s Lament to remind the world of what it lost. Samuel Boden and Thomas Walker contrive just the right shade of lightness to carry this off.

Other works on the album toddle along in Purcell’s shadow – song for St Cecilia’s Day and a Chaconne in G minor being written very much a la mode. Jonathan Cohen conducts the Arcangelo ensemble and the sound is crystal clear.

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About Author

Norman Lebrecht is a prolific writer on music and cultural affairs. His blog, Slipped Disc, is one of the most popular sites for cultural news. He presents The Lebrecht Interview on BBC Radio 3 and is a contributor to several publications, including the Wall Street Journal and The Standpoint. Visit every Friday for his weekly CD review // Norman Lebrecht est un rédacteur prolifique couvrant les événements musicaux et Slipped Disc, est un des plus populaires sites de nouvelles culturelles. Il anime The Lebrecht Interview sur la BBC Radio 3 et collabore à plusieurs publications, dont The Wall Street Journal et The Standpoint. Vous pouvez lire ses critiques de disques chaque vendredi.

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