June: Purcell - Hail, Bright Cecilia

[Diapason]

Lyrically, the next 3 movements form a coherent unit, each dealing with an instrument's "failings", explaining how they try "in vain" to stir a variety of passions. The joke, of course, is that Purcell's writing proves the exact opposite, and the music clearly succeeds in exactly the areas the lyrics claim failure.

First onto the chopping block is The Airy Violin, and after the chugging bass line and bass voice solo of Wondrous Machine, the combination of 2 violins, alto voice and dotted rhythm makes for a very light and airy effect indeed. I like the ambiguity in the Libretto here: "in vain they tune their speaking strings" suggests that the violins and viols can't even stay in tune, but shortly we discover that the violins try in vain to "court the cruel fair, or praise victorious kings". Purcell, master of the Welcome Song for nobility, who at this point had written a large number of odes in praise of a variety of people and places, must have had a chuckle here! Musically, the key centre changes dramatically for "cruel fair", before returning to a triumphant G minor flourish for "victorious kings", but apart from that it's pretty straight-down-the-middle. The violins answer each phrase, the dotted rhythms are kept up throughout the piece, and the whole things lasts under 2 minutes.

In stark contrast, In Vain the Am'rous Flute unfolds at an altogether more stately pace. It's in the form of a Passacaglia in A minor (although the bass doesn't repeat as an ostinato) and the immediate effect is one of langour and heat. Two flutes (recorders) interweave in an extended introduction that features a prominent "sighing" effect in its phrasing. The tenor voice is the first to enter with a line that demonstrates the sighing effect again in the word "am'rous". When the countertenor joins he sings the exact same line at the exact same pitch, but the falsetto of the countertenor contrasts beautifully with the chest voice of the tenor. I love the extended interweaving lines on "jointly labour", and spare a thought for the labours of our singers here: there's serious breath control required to sustain such long lines at this tempo. While it's not quite a porno soundtrack, I think Purcell does a great job of conjuring up the sense of "wanton heat and loose desire", despite what our librettist would have us believe. I can't *quite* put my finger on it, but the music seems sufficiently slow and sweaty to me. Perhaps it's the vaguely filthy repitition of "wanton", or the up-and-down nature of the musical line! Bizarrely, it's all too much for the score I downloaded from the internet, as the words "wanton heat and loose desire" are replaced in the printed score with "ardent love and fond desire". Those 1692 lyrics are obviously just too hot for modern audiences...

Moving swiftly on! The countertenor alone with the continuo tells of Cecilia's "chaste airs" ("choice airs" in the internet version!) in another beautiful line before being joined by the tenor for the gorgeous repetition of "gently". A strong upward phrase highlights the "Seraphic flames" before another piece of intricate interweaving leads us into the comfortable final strains of "heav'nly love", and the recorders take up the theme for a perfectly-judged coda. I love this movement, I love the atmosphere, I love the use of the voices, I love the pacing. Outside of the opening symphony, this is the longest movement, and I generally find myself in a reverie by the end of it. That's probably the point, because we're about to be rudely awoken by...

The Fife and all the Harmony of War. Trumpets, timpani and a tenor (or is it alto?) up the tempo and volume significantly and transport us to the battle-field. Despite the lyrics referring to the fife (a piccolo-like military instrument), it's the trumpets that lead the charge here with introductory fanfares. The tenor sings a punchy and arresting opening in notes that a natural trumpet could also play, creating an effect somewhat like a bugle-call. The music actually grows in intensity from the opening, reaching a high point (and a key change to the dominant) on the word "alarm", before the phrase is repeated, and the intensity ratcheted up one more notch with a *very* high D in the tenor voice towards the end of the line. If I were a tenor singing that, I'd be alarmed alright! The mood changes for "compose and charm" as we modulate unexpectedly into F# major and the tempo slows. This is briefly mimicked by the trumpets before the tempo increases again, we return to D major and the tenor shows off more vocal dexterity on "sounds" and "compose". One more unexpected modulation on the final "compose" interrupts the relentless pace, and we slow right down once again for the final "charm". A stately cadence from the trumpets and timpani ends the movement.

Well, that was quite a lot to take on board. How are we doing out there? Don't worry, we're on the home straight now...

[fergus]

I find The Airy Violin to be a handsome and entertaining little ditty with its fluid melody line and its jaunty rhythms.

I can see where you are coming from Simon in your description of In Vain the Am'rous Flute in terms of the effect of languid heat. It is a constant feature in some of the better recordings of Vivaldi’s slow movements in his various concertos that I find particularly attractive where it is demonstrated that Vivaldi did it particularly well. The singing on the Parrott version does a good job in endeavouring to achieve the desired effect and the recorders and lute combination certainly do succeed in this aspect of the music. This is a section that I would be interested in hearing other versions of for comparison purposes.

We are then rudely awoken from our slumber and reverie with The Fife and all the Harmony of War which transfers us from one passion to another! Interestingly I hear strong echoes of Handel in this section. It would not have struck me before that stylistically Purcell was a precursor to Handel. Did Handel admire the work of Purcell?

[Diapason]

It would not have struck me before that stylistically Purcell was a precursor to Handel. Did Handel admire the work of Purcell?

Honestly, I don't know! In my head the two share a common bond, but that may be simply that Handel also wrote a Cecilia Ode himself. In a way I'd be surprised if he wasn't an influence on some level, although Handel certainly found his own harmonic voice.

A brief bit of googling suggests that the influence is more than just imagined, so good spot, Fergus!

[fergus]

I don't have that many Purcell CDs Simon so I don't listen to his music that often but I just got a srtong sense of Handel particularly with The Fife and All the Harmony of War section.

[Diapason]

And I don't listen to much Handel...

[Diapason]

I don't know many bass duets, but what better way to portray a contest? Let These Amongst Themselves Contest doesn't waste any time in getting into it either, the first bass comes out swinging right from the first bar, and the second bass throws back just as good as he gets in the second bar. In a 17th century precursor to "Anything you can do I can do better", the basses continue to spar with florid, interweaving lines before the entire, serious opening section is repeated. At the end of the repeat the basic pulse doubles, giving a tremendous sense of forward movement on "Thou summ'st their diff'ring Graces up in One", with some beautiful melismatic singing on "Graces". Finally both basses come together on "consort", singing the word separated by the pleasing harmonic interval of a third. A brief dialogue on "all" gives way to a more florid "all" in thirds once again, before the lines diverge a final time for "within thy self alone".

I think this is a really effective movement, and the "contest" is heightened since the two basses sing alone with the continuo and no other accompaniment. I find some of the writing here to be reminiscent of the "as famous" sections in the opening chorus, and the serious sound of a bass in D minor reminds me of the opening solo bass flourish, also in the same key. The work as a whole has a sense of structural symmetry, and are these clues that things are drawing to a close? Stay tuned and we'll find out!

[fergus]

It is a good contest all right; two basses like two heavyweights. The vocal lines are quite clear giving each voice an equal part and weight. I particularly like the doubling of the pulse that you point out Simon which I also think is very clever and effective. I really like the continuo in this section particularly the lute playing.

[Diapason]

The final movement of the work, Hail! Bright Cecilia, Hail to Thee, is a large-scale chorus that to my mind is the perfect cherry on top of everything that has gone before. For a work that has detailed the different attributes of various instruments, it seems fitting to hear them all in turn between the isolated "Hail"s sung by the full choir. The strings are first up, then the oboes, then the trumpets and timpani, giving the listener a full look around the orchestra and a chance to admire the effects of different instrumentation one last time. It's a pretty solid hifi tester too! The Hail's get closer together, building tension, until the full orchestra joins the full choir for "Hail bright Cecilia, hail to thee". Now we have the chance to hear the different parts of the choir in turn, moving up from basses, through tenors, altos and finally sopranos while accompaniment moves from strings to oboes. Once again all musicians come together for "great patroness of us and harmony", giving a tremendously full and rich tone to end the opening section.

A change of mood is triggered by the shift to a contrapuntal section, and as always Purcell doesn't disappoint in his fugue setting for 6 voices (SSAATB). The writing here recalls the "Fill Ev'ry Heart" section of the opening chorus, once again demonstrating the over-arching structure of the work as a whole. The oboes and strings have plenty to do here too, filling out the intricate part writing and adding texture and interest. When the trumpets take up the theme, things ratchet up a notch further, and once again Purcell performs the neat trick of having the basses sing the same line slower than all the other parts. This time, they sing 4 times slower while, simultaneously, the violins play the subject upside-down, even as the oboes play the theme the "right way up". It's an incredible moment of very powerful writing and extreme skill, and it reflects the words as trumpets add to the astonishing contrapuntal texture: "Thou didst thy former skill improve". Well, quite.

Purcell steps away from the texture of the full orchestra for the following section, "With rapture of delight", as 4 solo voices (AATB) are accompanied by continuo only. The tempo here is much slower, and as the countertenors join the bass and tenor the effect is truly one of rapture. A move to F# major (a somewhat unusual key for the period) for "thy fav'rite art" takes us to an even more unusual C# major on "part", and the continuo sits here while the countertenors start singing "infinite" repeatedly. They're joined by bass and tenor who gradually grind up the scale in a magnificent building of tension that seems to last an eternity ("infinite", you see!) When we finally land with relief on the word "felicity", the tempo increases and we're back at the opening of the chorus once again. As before we move through the orchestra, then the choir, before the final, magnificent chords of "great patroness of us and harmony". Brilliant stuff!



I said at the start of the thread that this work is greater than the sum of its parts, and I think the variety of techniques displayed contributes to this greatness. A huge array of compositional devices are used in the course of the piece, displaying Purcell's mastery of harmony, counterpoint, structure, instrumental texture and vocal writing. The audience at the first performance liked the work enough that they had the whole thing performed again there and then, so we can only assume they were impressed. Music's beauty is, of course, always in the ear of the beholder, and while I certainly think this music is genuinely beautiful, I know many don't. However, even if the work is not to your taste, I hope that this thread has at least pointed to a few elements to admire intellectually. Sometimes beauty follows what the intellect admires.

It's probably safe to say that much of Purcell's music is "unusable" today as the Odes don't really fit as concert works, and many of the anthems and services no longer really work as religious music. However, a little bit of delving can throw up a huge array of gorgeous music, and it's all very well represented on disc. As mentioned earlier, those who find Hail Bright Cecilia a bit too much might do well to pick up The Essential Purcell on Hyperion. One of the things Purcell is famed for in some of his earlier works are his string ritornelli at the ends of airs, and they're not really featured here. Try Here the deities approve or The sparrow and the gentle dove and plenty of others besides to hear examples of this lush string writing. It really is the most glorious stuff.

Thank you to everyone who followed this thread and thanks especially to those who commented. I knew I was on dangerous ground with this selection, and sure enough it doesn't really seem to have captured the imagination here as much as some other works. Not to worry. Hopefully I've persuaded the non-believers to at least take another listen to Purcell, and maybe they'll find something new to enjoy. If so, please share your thoughts here, good and bad!

[Jared]

^^ Simon, I have been reading your thread with absolute awe because it really has been superb; all I can say is that I'm jolly pleased I wasn't following you!

I will apologise now for not having posted anything; things are busy at work, however I fully intend to sit down with my disk and work through your expansive notes, with the music side by side (although it might be the back end of July) in order to get the full benefit from them. All I can say is that your efforts have been very greatly appreciated!!

[fergus]

The final movement of the work, Hail! Bright Cecilia, Hail to Thee, is a large-scale chorus that to my mind is the perfect cherry on top of everything that has gone before.

Yes indeed “Hail! Bright Cecilia, Hail to Thee” is a fine chorus as is "With rapture of delight" and they are both quite fitting pieces to round off all that has preceded them. I also particularly like the way in which the various instruments and indeed voices (SATB) are highlighted individually at various points. I think that the tone of the music is just right in that it is not overly triumphant yet still manages to celebrate. I think that the way Purcell constructs the final section by starting all over again and building the conclusion up from the foundation right up to the final chorus was very clever indeed!