Purcell

"Purcell" by John F. Runciman is a biography published in the 1900's that examines the life and music of Henry Purcell, a famous English composer. The book looks closely at Purcell's music, comparing it to others from that time and pointing out how new and deeply emotional it still is. It tries to show how much Purcell added to music in the late 1600s, capturing his style of mixing everyday life with more sacred themes. The text also looks at what little information there is about Purcell's life, proposing that his impact comes from both his church music and his work for plays and theaters. It underlines Purcell's special musical sound, full of energy and youth, and his talent for bringing nature to life through music. The text recognizes that those who came after Purcell had a hard time, implying that his music was as good as English music could get, and no one has done better since. In the end, the book asks for Purcell to be recognized for his amazing talent, which the author says has been forgotten because of newer music. The author encourages people to become interested in Purcell's timeless music again.