 | Purcell, Henry - "Music for a While" for Viola & Harp Z.583 Act III Scene I Viola and Harp |
Music for a While for Viola & Harp
MP3 (2.88 Mo) : 
(by Magatagan, Michael)131x⬇ 127x
Music for a While for Viola & Harp
MP3 (2.88 Mo) : (by Magatagan, Michael)82x⬇ 85xVidéo :
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| Composer : | Purcell, Henry (1659 - 1695) | ||||
| Instrumentation : | Viola and Harp | ||||
| Style : | Baroque | ||||
| Arranger : | MAGATAGAN, MICHAEL (1960 - ) | ||||
| Publisher : | MAGATAGAN, MICHAEL | ||||
| Date : | 1692 | ||||
| Copyright : | Public Domain | ||||
| Added by magataganm, 20 Aug 2014 Henry Purcell holds a special place in the hearts of Englishmen. The reasons for this can be summed up quite simply. His music is ravishing, full of expressive dissonances, and with an unparalleled manner of setting text. Before his untimely death, at age 26, likely of tuberculosis, he had risen to be organist at Westminster Abbey and the Chapel Royale, penned the first English opera, Dido and Aeneas, and composed music for the coronation of James II and the funeral of Queen Mary II. After his death, England would not have another composer of similar stature until the twentieth century. Purcell is buried next to the organ at London's Westminster Abbey. "Music for a while shall all your cares beguile" is from Act III, Scene 1 of Oedipus, with incidental music by Purcell. The music is scored modestly, employing only alto, tenor, and bass soloists, two violins, and continuo. The surviving manuscripts of Purcell's setting are undated, but Charles Burney suggests the date 1692, in part because the play was reprinted that year. Oedipus, a tragedy, was written in 1678 by Nathaniel Lee and John Dryden (1631-1700), author of the text for King Arthur and co-author of that for The Indian Queen. In Oedipus, Tiresias, a blind seer, and two priests summon the ghost of King Laius to discover the identity of his murderer. After entreating the "powers below" through solo and tutti numbers, the first priest tries to conjure King Laius by singing "Music for a while." A full statement of the ground bass precedes the entrance of the first priest. The arpeggiated chords of the bass part intertwine with the tenor voice line as both slowly rise with powerful chromatic alterations, depicting the rising of the dead King Laius. The tonally ambiguous, non-diatonic bass line allows for greater harmonic exploration through modulation in the middle of the piece. During the fourth repetition of the ground, the pattern goes astray, although maintaining the basic arpeggio figure of the bass line. At this point, the text describes one of the Furies, Alecto, who is capable of "free[ing] the dead from their eternal bands." When the narrator describes snakes dropping from Alecto's head, Purcell places a rest between each of the numerous statements of "drop," which occur on the second half of the beat. A gentle descending line closes the middle section on the dominant as preparation for the return to the tonic. Purcell's return to the home key (C minor) brings with it a return of the opening melody and text; a regular occurrence in Purcell's late ground-bass arias. This brings to mind the da capo aria with its ternary plan. Although originally written for alto, tenor, and bass soloists, two violins, and continuo, I adapted this piece for Viola & Concert (Pedal) Harp. Sheet central : | Oedipus (7 sheet music) | | |||
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By flamen
, at 00:28
 | beautiful arrangement ! |
