Pearls in Baroque: The French Connection of Purcell

Purcell was a popular composer of anthems to welcome royal guests. He wrote the anthem I was Glad for the accession of William and Mary in 1689 and he played the organ during their coronation. His work is a fascinating melding of the old Elizabethan choral tradition and both French and Italian influences. The dancelike, elegant figures in his music are typical French touches that show the far-reaching influence of Lully, Louis XIV’s court composer. Also on the programme are Lully’s contemporary D’Anglebert, with a transcription of Lully’s opera Passacaille d’Armide for solo harpsichord, François Couperin with his Concert instrumental sous le titre d’Apothéose à la mémoire immortelle de l’incomparable Monsieur de Lully, and to close, Rameau’s Fourth Harpsichord Concerto.