Purcell

John F. RuncimanProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.1

Word count: 97K words
Chapters: 10

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Purcell by John F. RuncimanAuthor: Runciman, John F., 1866-1916,Language: English, Class: ML: Music: Literature of music, Release Date: Dec 23, 2004

Editor's review

This is a musician's biography of the English composer Henry Purcell by John F. Runciman, a public-domain ebook prepared by Project Gutenberg. Runciman was himself a music critic, and his writing carries a critic's judgments and enthusiasms; it is not a dry chronological record but a discussion of the works set back in their historical context, balancing biographical threads with musical analysis. For readers who want to know Purcell and his music without starting with academic monographs, this short biography is a suitable entry point; for those familiar with Baroque music, it can be read as a critical document with the accent of its time, observing how early twentieth-century Englishmen evaluated this national composer. Note that it is an old English work, without modern scholarly annotations, and some views reflect the author's personal leanings; readers should read with discernment.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Classical music lovers wanting a first acquaintance with Purcell's life and works
Students of Baroque music needing English biographical material
Readers interested in the style of early twentieth-century English music criticism
General readers who want a brief glimpse of a slice of English music history

Not a good fit for

Researchers needing the latest scholarly conclusions and a detailed catalogue of works
People with no knowledge of Baroque music who need a Chinese-language introductory guide
Readers expecting extensive musical examples or systematic formal analysis

Reading tips

While reading, listen to recordings of Purcell's representative works alongside the text, feeling the correspondence between the words and the sound.
Read the biographical chapters first to establish a timeline, then return to the discussions of the works; understanding will come more smoothly.
Make marginal notes on the author's evaluative judgments, distinguishing factual statements from personal opinion.
After finishing, consult a brief list of Purcell's works to fill in information on pieces the book does not elaborate.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book suitable for complete beginners?

It can serve as an English-language introduction, but it assumes readers have a basic impression of English Baroque music and has no Chinese annotations. Chinese readers with no background at all are advised to listen to several of Purcell's representative works and learn the general historical background before reading; the gain will be more obvious.

Does the book contain musical analysis?

The book is mainly biography and criticism, focusing on the arc of the life and overall assessments of the works; it is not a systematic study of musical form or harmony. If technical analysis is needed, read it alongside a specialist musicological work.

Should the author's critical stance be kept in mind?

Runciman came from criticism, and his writing carries distinct personal judgments; some evaluations reflect early twentieth-century aesthetic tastes. Keeping factual narrative and personal commentary separate while reading will prevent taking one man's view as settled fact.

Comments

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About the author

John F. Runciman Author · English · 1866–1916

John F. Runciman (1866–1916) was a British music critic and biographer active in British music writing in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries; five of his works are held in this collection. He is known chiefly for short biographies of composers and for music criticism. His representative works include Richard Wagner, Composer of Operas and Old Scores and New Readings: Discussions on Music & Certain Musicians, along with short biographical books on Haydn, Purcell, and Wagner. His prose is sharp and his judgments distinctive; within limited space he sketches a composer's character and creative traits, often expressing personal views. He is regarded as one of the representative figures in early twentieth-century British music writing. Public information on his early education, professional career, and detailed life is limited; what can be confirmed is mainly the contribution of his criticism and biographical works to the popularization and criticism of music.