Purcell - England, My England [ The Story of Henry Purcell ] -- Part 1 - Simon Callow

Purcell - England, My England [ The Story of Henry Purcell ] -- Part 1 - Simon Callow, Michael Ball, Colin Redgrave, Director: Tony Palmer

Purcell, who was court baroque composer to King Charles the Second (The Merry Monarch) and later to William III and Queen Mary II, is probably one of England's greatest composers and this wonderful production was very well received when it was on TV to mark his 300 year anniversary.

This is not just a beautifully played biography of Purcell, which Michael Ball portrays as a lovable, talented man, but also a moving and realistic depiction of the considerably harsher lives of those in London at that time.

The drama is balanced in three parts to involve the viewer in the music, the life of Purcell in the late 1600's and how to relate to him in the present day. Thus the drama of Purcell's life is done in flashback from Simon Callow (who also plays King Charles II) as an actor in 1960's London struggling to present Purcell to a twentieth century audience. This helps us to understand better what was happening to Purcell when we slipped into the flashbacks of the past. King Charles II had restored the monarchy to England after the horrors of the English Civil War and the Puritan Protectorate under Cromwell. He required a talented Court Composer and young Purcell who had spent all his life in the service of music with his father and uncle, both professionals, to train him was just the right man.

The period dramas set at the courts of King Charles and his successors are done in full lavish costume drama style. The selection of music is injected at those moments which are appropriate for the unfolding drama, both in the great events of British history and the personal triumphs and disasters of Purcell's life. The musical performances, as I remember them, were all sublime and uplifting.

The general authenticity of the production was memorable because much of it was filmed in the original places in which Purcell lived and worked. This is no fictional account of the great Restoration composer but an attempt to capture the spirit of his music through an understanding of the man. If you love classical music or good history this is a must!

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Henry
• Purcell
• England
• My
• The
• Story
• of
• Simon
• Callow
• Michael
• Ball
• Colin
• Redgrave
• Director
• Tony
• Palmer
• Baroque
• Composer
• Music
• Choral
• Chorus
• Chamber
• Film

[Kievest]

Adore Henry Purcell, Simon Callow and this combination of in front of and behind

the curtain drama! Colorful, entertaining and enriching!  Thank you for posting!

[BaroqueJazzPlays]

@Kievest It certainly is an ‘informative’ film… did take me a few goes to get use to the time-frame swapping without it being annoying…  a Simon Callow fan also…

[essenciademusica]

amazing



[bastardtubeuser]

amazing i never knew of this film. thanks a lot.