Henry Purcell lived in England during the 17th century period known as the Restoration. He was born just forty years after Shakespeare died and composed over 800 works many of which are sublime. He died at the age of 36.
In addition to history and analysis this podcast contains several examples of his music which you may not have heard. He composed just one opera, Dido and Aeneas, but he also created many “semi-operas” for the theater to be performed as part of plays including A Midsummer Night’s Dream (The Fairy Queen) and The Tempest of Shakespeare. These, plus his Odes to Saint Cecilia constitute a major achievement in music of all time.
The greatest recording of the Odes I have found is by The Collegium Vocale Gent and Phillipe Herreweghe. The best recording of Dido and Aeneas I think is by the Scholars who also have recorded a number of Purcell’s semi-operas all on original instruments. There is also a two volume compendium of Purcell’s operatic works by John Eliot Gardiner that is quite good and includes the bulk of his theater semi-operas and masques.
I also urge you to listen to John Blow’s Ode on the Death of Henry Purcell; Blow was Purcell’s teacher and his appreciation of the composer is spot on as well as being a superior piece of music in and of itself.
Bach, Beethoven...Purcell?