The British Henry Purcell was born 1659 in London. He became a Westminster Abbey organist, joined the Royal Orchestra and started as Royal Court Composer in 1683.
Purcell's compositions showed "early English classic music's apex". He composed more then 50 drama plays - among them were Shakespeare's "Richard II", "Storm" or "A midnight's summer dream".
The opera "Dido and Aeneas" (1689) was a simple casual job for a girls boarding school but became a real "great opera" with an overture in French style, a prologue and three acts. "Dido and Aeneas" was his summit and also the end of the so-called Early English Opera.
His "King Arthur" (written in 1691) and "Fairy Queen" (written one year later) premiered only 1964 (!) in Germany.
Purcell's composition work contains welcome songs, anthems, suites for strings and much more. Purcell passed away in London on November 21, 1695.
