1516.The Purcell Companion. Ed. Michael Burden. London: Faber & Faber, 1995.
x, 504p. ISBN 0-931340-93-4. ML410 .P93 P86.
Eleven essays by various scholars.Three are on operatic matters: Edward A.
Langhans, “The Theatrical Background”; Roger Savage, “The Theatre
Music”; and Robert Savage, “Producing Dido and Aeneas: An Investigation
into Sixteen Problems” (entered at #1524).Biographies
- Keates, Jonathan. Purcell: A Biography. London: Chatto & Windus, 1995. x,
304p. Reprint, Boston: Northeastern U.P., 1996. ISBN (Northeastern) 1-55553-
287-X. ML410 .P93 K4.
A personalized life story, with program notes on the operas. Backnotes, expan-
sive index, no bibliography. - Zimmerman, Franklin B. Henry Purcell, 1659–1695: His Life and Times.2nd
ed. Philadelphia: U. of Pennsylvania Press, 1983. xxxvi, 473p. ISBN 0-8122-
7869-0. ML410 .P93 Z5.
First edition, 1969. The standard life and works, fully documented, well illus-
trated, with bibliography and index.
See also New Grove North European(#170).
Operas in General
- Moore, Robert Etheridge. Henry Purcell and the Restoration Theatre. Lon-
don: Heinemann, 1961. xv, 223p. Reprint, Westport, Conn.: Greenwood, - ISBN (Greenwood) 0-8371-7155-5. ML410 .P93 M6.
A documented account of the stage works in program-note style, with musical
examples. No bibliography. Name, title, and topic index. - Price, Curtis. Henry Purcell and the London Stage. London: Cambridge U.P.,
- 380p. ISBN 0-521-23831-5. ML410 .P93 P7.
A scholarly, analytic work, with good documentation and musical examples.
Considers the sources and music for more than 50 plays as well as the operas
and gives a comprehensive picture of the London theatrical milieu. Bibliogra-
phy of about 150 modern writings, index. - Squire, W. Barclay. “Purcell’s Dramatic Music.” SIMG5 (1903–1904): 489–
A valuable gathering of data on 54 plays to which Purcell contributed vocal or
instrumental music. Sources of each, their dates according to various scholars,
and what is known of the musical numbers.
- Radice, Mark A. “Theater Architecture at the Time of Henry Purcell and Its
Influence on His ‘Dramatick Operas.’” In Opera in Context(#288), 73–94.
London’s only “opera house” in Purcell’s time was the Dorset Garden Theatre.
His stage works of the 1690s were given there. Its architecture and elaborate
machinery are described and illustrated.
288 Opera