Author Description

The fifteen years between the Restoration of Charles II in 1660 and the beginning of Henry Purcell's career saw the birth of the Baroque style in England. Pelham Humfrey was the most significant composer of this period, and his contribution to the English Baroque style was decisive. Though his career spanned little more than a decade, his output of verse anthems with strings, court odes, and theater music greatly influenced the musical style of the Restoration and provided Henry Purcell, Humfrey's pupil, with a solid foundation for his own highly acclaimed career. This study offers particularly sharp insights into Humphrey's synthesis of French and Italian styles and his creation of a distinctive English Baroque idiom.