As part of the internationally regarded Purcell Society Edition, the Purcell Society Companion Series presents in modern critical texts – and in many cases for the first time – a varied repertoire of hitherto largely inaccessible work by the composer’s contemporaries, which will both illuminate his own achievement and further our understanding of this flourishing yet complex period of theatrical activity as a whole.
Highly appealing to scholars and amateur and professional performers alike, the nine pieces in this collection comprise all the known trio sonatas that survive complete and appear to have been written in England during the reign of Charles II by composers other than Purcell. John Blow's G minor Ground and Sonata in A, and a G minor sonata by Draghi, not only stand comparison with music of the younger composer, but also, in their varied approach to form, throw fascinating light on his more Italianate approach to the genre. All the sonatas – works by Robert King (a Sonetta after the Italion way), Johann Gottfried Keller, Nicola Matteis senior and Gerhard Diesineer – are attractive to play and listen to, and the collection, also including surviving violin parts from works by Blackwell and Eastwick, significantly extends our understanding of the context in which Purcell's famed sonatas arose. Performing material is in preparation.
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