Hymnos Purcell

Italian composer Giacinto Scelsi (1905-88) is considered one of the most enigmatic musical figures in the history of 20th century music. He very famously, after suffering a breakdown in the late 1950’s, sat and played a single note on the piano for hour after hour, in an attempt, as he said, “to absorb the world and its overtones.” This is a fascinating sound world both simple and complex and at times hauntingly beautiful.

Purcell’s song output is extensive. Zimmerman, in his analytical catalogue of his music, the Z numbers in the heading, identifies five categories. All are represented in the nineteen songs of this anthology from Carolyn Sampson.

Purcell was not just a creature of the theatre - his genius with the human voice also extended to sacred and secular songs. Among his least well-known works, many of Purcell's sacred songs remained in manuscript and known only to a select few. It is possible that they were intended solely for an elite audience at court. Published by Henry Playford, Harmonia Sacra was a two-volume anthology of devotional song containing compositions by Purcell and several of his contemporaries.

Few of the many recordings devoted to Henry Purcell have succeeded in capturing all the richness and diversity of musical instruments of the late 17th century. Here well-known pieces by Purcell played take on an entirely new and unexpected colouring, while also serving to highlight the theatricality of the vocal airs.