Passacaglia from King Arthur - Henry Purcell

[HenriNioto]

Le passage des voix à 3:16 est un moment de pure beauté, qui évoque en mon coeur l'immortel entortillement des voix précédent la partie finale du 4eme mouvement de la 9eme symphonie de Beethov. Ici, la voix féminine superposé à la voix plus grave de l'homme est une apothéose d'émotion musicale.

[TheChoralChick]

Wow, this performance is absolutely sublime. Going to see a live performance this Saturday (Kairos Consort) - what a treat! Would like to get the cd this recording is from. Thanks for posting for us!

[sperner]

Le genre de la passacaille dans toute sa splendeur

[minagirlie]

Oh my goodness be still my squeeing heart! Thank you @Zarataphs for posting this, this is by far the most beautiful performance of this piece ever!

[Stijn9019]

this is awesome .. i was listening the instrumental part and slightly dozing off and then these voices came in and i sort of ovulated.. and i'm not even a girl

[sweetjoybefallthee]

@Stijn9019 No, you're just a homo.

[Stijn9019]

@sweetjoybefallthee and how many libraries did you have to consult just to know?

[sweetjoybefallthee]

@Stijn9019 None sweetie.

[Stijn9019]

@sweetjoybefallthee powerfull knowledge you got there

[val590211]

magical, wonderful...

[indigoblue555]

Pure magic.

[rdel1207]

Could you please post "Come if you dare"? There seem to be no good recordings of it on Youtube and I would love to hear this group's performance. Thanks!

[gpa7941tube]

TENOR I How happy the lover, How easy his chain! How sweet to discover He sighs not in vain. CHORUS How happy the lover, etc. RITORNELLO SYLVAN & NYMPH For love ev'ry creature Is form'd by his nature. No joys are above The pleasures of love. CHORUS No joys are above. The pleasures of love.

[gpa7941tube]

THREE NYMPHS In vain are our graces, In vain are your eyes. In vain are our graces If love you despise. When age furrows faces, 'Tis too late to be wise. THREE SYLVANS Then use the sweet blessing While now in possessing. No joys are above The pleasures of love. THREE NYMPHS No joys are above The pleasures of love. CHORUS No joys are above The pleasures of love.

[tampax2009]

Curieux mais les francais semblent plus écouter King arthur de purcell que les britanniques eux mêmes.... Magnifique musique, génial compositeur, et grandiose angleterre!

[ampy1950]

Absolutely brilliant! Omitting repeats, the lyrics sung here are:- How happy the lover, how easy his chain How sweet to discover he sighs not in vain. For love every creature is formed by his nature No joys are above the pleasures of love. In vain are our graces, in vain are your eyes In vain are our graces, if love you despise When age furrows faces, 'tis too late to be wise. Then use the sweet blessing while now in possessing No joys are above the pleasures of love.

[xbillybrownx]

Angelic music!

[Nettlebed7]

This performance is much too syncopated and modernistic. It will be outmoded quickly, unlike the piece itself.

[obizin]

@Nettlebed7 I do not agree. I believe it is syncopated enough. However it could be a little more fluid. Around 1:00 I don't like the performance very much but by 1:57 I become enchanted by the music.

[rozalia67]

Wondreful music!

[peteacher52]

It is hauntingly beautiful as was so much of Purcell's music. I believe that had Purcell lived longer, he would have become close to J S Bach in stature from our point of view.

[obizin]

@peteacher52 Possibly

[BernardProfitendieu]

@peteacher52 who needs Bach when you have Purcell? (from OUR point of view)

[rozalia67]

Wonderful music, thank you very much.

[bouzignac]

Quel génie ce mec...

[SuperHadassa1]

Regal! 

[locomotifx]

Yeah cool. To translate from local vernacular, that means i'll have to look yr channel up, and thank you so much for posting it.

[gothips]

so alike with lullies armide passacaille.

[itsforthewin]

i love the bass soloistttt.

[Staceyeb3030]

Baroque music with English lyrics? How marvelous! Most baroque is Latin or German, (obviously due to the nationality of the composers) and I find it a nice to be able understand the lyrics =)

[gothips]

@Staceyeb3030 and french..

[Staceyeb3030]

@gothips Quite true. And Jean-Baptiste Lully is one of my favorite baroque composers =)

[BernardProfitendieu]

@Staceyeb3030 then I guess you've never heard of a guy called Handel who was known to throw off a baroque ditty or two in English?

[mykonosparadise]

Beautiful.

[seaxwielder]

Some extraordinary comments here, almost smacking of envy by our 'continental neigbours' especially the French.

Purcell's music was not derivative.True genius is in thrall only to the gods not mortals.

[joshhang]

How happy I am to listen to this sweet

tune!

[ShinAkiraX]

Pure euphoria indeed.

[stedley21]

blisss

[1401JSC]

On ne peut pas savoir quelles partitions Purcell aurait vues.

Je continue en message privé.

[1401JSC]

Charpentier unknown during his life?

If he held no court appointment, this was largely due to the Lully monopoly and influence. He studied in Rome (copying for example Carissimi's Jephtha and a work by F Beretta.

His French public was at firs confined to those who enjoyed the Italian style. His main appointment was Kappelmeister to the Duchess of Guise (cf Händel before being forgiven by George of Hanover).

However, as chief composer for Molière his music was very well known, I'd say.

[frenchiecocorico1]

Yes, Charpentier learned music with Carissimi, wrote music for an only one theater Molière comedy, was musical chief of Mlle de Guise private musical band but what a pity when we was as well composer, conductor, keyboard player and even singer at the same time? Here is the epitaph he wrote himself "I was a musician, best amongst the best but those despising me were more numerous than those congratulating, so music was for me a thin honour and a heavy duty". Is this to be famous?

[1401JSC]

Well he accumulated the two previous posts with that of Kappelmeister of the Sainte Chapelle, seconde en renommé et importance à la Chapelle de Versailles.

La France encourage les études cloisonnées et n'apprécie guère un musicien qui pratique plusieurs matières...

Je ne connais pas le montant de ce qu'il a légué à sa mort....

[1401JSC]

Le Mercure Gallant (octobre 1689) "l'air du FAMEUX M. Charpentier (par exemple).

S de Brossard écrit maintes fois son admiration pour M-AC.

1683 le Roi lui accorde une pension.

Not "i was a musician" but "I was considered a musician". Not "best among the best" but "bon parmi les bons"

Par là, je comprends qu'il ne s'agit pas de fausse modéstie, mais il se reconnut pas de "grandeur" particulière.

[frenchiecocorico1]

Vous déviez progressivement du sujet original. Charpentier n'était pas un compositeur suffisamment célèbre pour que sa réputation ait réussi à franchir les frontières et pour que Purcell ait pu le connaitre lui et ses oeuvres.

[Askelairlines747]

what are the rules of a passacaglia performance?

[punkorganist]

This is one of the best historical performances of a Purcell work that I've ever heard.

[baroquegenial2009]

nice!!! thanks!!!!

[EliteBiohazard]

"Not bad" dude?? This could be possible the OST of the Baroque era.

[tampax2009]

Not bad! But have you heard it by Paul McCreesh?

[irishmaestro]

It's quite amazing how he takes the Lullian dramatic Passacaille and makes it so wholly his own. It strikes me of French being spoken with an English accent. =)

[peymaania]

This sounds very much like to some Charpentier's works. I wonder who

inspired whom?

[1401JSC]

Which works of Charpentier?

[peymaania]

Charpentier's Magnificat!

If you listen carefully you'll see the similarities, also keep in mind that Jean

Baptiste Lully had quite an influence on

Charpentier. There are 3 different recordings of Charpentier's Magnificat on youtube, so you can listen and decide for yourself.

[1401JSC]

Between 1660 and 1695, Charpentier wrote 8 magnificats...

How do you suppose that Purcell (1659-95) would have heard them or obtain copies?

[peymaania]

James II court or the Restoration had strong ties w-Louis XIV of France, until

the so called Glorious Revolution.

James II had been Exiled in France where he fought on the side of the Throne against the Fronde. James II was also a Roman Catholic, and the English Parliament voted him out because he believed in Absolute Monarchy, just like Louis XIV of France. He only reigned for about 3 years, but this was more than long enough for French Culture & Music to permeate through the English court.

[1401JSC]

It is often said that Britain being an Island was subject to artistic influences anachronically, but this permitted English composers, painters, architects etc. a great liberty to refine the ends of historical periods (John Bull, William Byrd, William Shakespeare, William Blake, Edward Elgar).

Sometimes the trend was not followed (very little Baroque architecture in England).

Preface Sonatas in 3 parts "Englishmen should begin to loath the levity and balladry of our neighbours" (the French)

[peymaania]

I would certainly agree with you, especially in terms of Architecture.

There are very few Italian Renaissance Buildings in Britain also. Elizabethan Tudor style of building was much prefered in England. The French also had a strong indigenous style, you'll find very few Bernini or Boromini style of churches in Paris. Historically it has been popular to despise the French. However despite all their faults, the French have had a very strong influence on the British Isles.

[seaxwielder]

This shows a profound ignorance of English architecture.The Neo Classical stle was Palladianism brought back from Italy not Germany and was largely itself influenced by Greek architecture.

[frenchiecocorico1]

In the period, composers and musicians travelled throught European countries to have employment. Consequently foreigners influenced national musics. Italians Lully or Cavalli came in France. English Bull came in the Netherlands or Peter Philipps came in Italy? German Händel came in England and so on Which is the European Country to be never influenced by and to keep its cultural integrity? What's a fight for? Nonsense.

[1401JSC]

As a student, I had thought that Purcell had been to France at least to learn singing, but now I can find no evidence of this. In his 35 years, he was not a very travelled man.

Since the popularity of the American William Christie, there has been a sort of dictatorship on styles. Ornaments are interpreted in a fuzzy "european" way rather than investigating the theoreticalm writings of each country.

[frenchiecocorico1]

Which Charpentier's Magnificat shows such similarities with? Marc Antoine Charpentier had written no more than ten Magnifcats. But that's quite right french music influenced English one during the English restoration period which corresponded to Purcell life. The link beetween the two monarchies were strong. By example it is well known Charles II sold Dunkerque to his cousin the "Sun" king Louis XIV of France. Concerning Purcell, french influence was limited by his "strong indigenous style".

[1401JSC]

Whilst this is not untrue, and the English royalty learned to appreciate music in French style during their exile (1649-60), the transfer of Catholic music to Anglican liturgy is not so obvious.

[frenchiecocorico1]

I apologize, I found the Magnificat you told about . It is "Magnificat pour trois voix H.73". The similarities between this Magnificat and King Arthur Passacaille are evidents. However, they are only coïncidence of period musical uses and fashion. Never Purcell could have known Charpentier's work because the french composer was nearly unknown himself in France during his life and long after. More, no Charpentier score was published until the late 19th century.

[derpestarzt]

He could have downloaded it from Charpentier's myspace before he became famous and then he copied his style and became a celebrity and entered big brother.

[owbyken]

Henry is the King of Baroque.

[maspleben]

Oh thank you so much for the Passacaglia. This is my favourite suite in King Arthur. I used to sing it for a small production in Reims, France, and it was fantastic.

[avvitata]

Purcell made me love baroque...thank you!!

[MaBu888]

"Soli Meo Gloria, quod unus tecum sum"- Deus - Iesus.

[archer1949]

Yes, well.......we Papists like Purcell, too!

[peymaania]

Art thou a papist whore?

[mrmolinodelahoz]

At least you have more sense about music than religion.

[yamiyugikun]

I finally found the lyrics on the CD set of King Author and posted them here for Passacagalia:D

[yamiyugikun]

Tenor:

How happy the lover,

How easy his chain!

How sweet to discover

He sighs not in vain

Chorus: How happy the lover...

Ritornello

[witchcraftlord]

@yamiyugikun i am a tenor i  love singing early music

[yamiyugikun]

Soprano & Bass:

For love ev'ry creature

is form'd by his nature.

No joys are above

The pleasures of love.

[dreamtimedare]

One of my favorite songs from King Arthur. I have this cd, and I love Pinnock as well!

[yamiyugikun]

Purcell, you are divine and make this world a beautiful place! Hail Purcell^_^

[Alasdair7]

I love him. He really is our only truly legendary (i.e. up with the Germans and Italians) composer.

[frphilipmullen]

Alasdair7, don't forget Thomas Tallis, William Byrd, the German-Become-British George Fredrick Handel, and Ralph Vaughn Williams......yet Purcell remains at the top for me! :)

[croscream]

I am choking in your english pride. So provincial!

[WIGNSWORD]

Reminds me of the good old days...even in 1790I would have insisted on this stuff, and sorry no, Lully is not monotonous...Wagner is!

[midnightblue80]

I agree 100%. This kind of music keeps the mind interested with all of the movement!

[frphilipmullen]

Very French, in Purcell's Anglo-Huguenot way!

Thank God for St. Henry Purcell......

Britain's 17th century Mozart!

[midnightblue80]

Lully would have been a strong influence on Purcell.

[frphilipmullen]

Amen! :)

[Cunki66]

Great!Great!!!Great!!!!!!!

Purcell is my barock god!!!!

[Alyssil]

Hail Baroque! ^^

Hail Purcell!

divine music :)

[sethvold1]

May I second "one of the most beautiful baroque passages I have ever heard."

[LutenistDeMari]

"No, no, no, no, no, no," - sung to a descending 6ths sequence: genius!

[zoroas7]

it's one of my favorites of purcell

[OnkelvanTuca]

One word: Woah.

Some of the most beautiful baroque I've ever heard.