# Orpheus Britannicus

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{{short description|Collection of songs by Henry Purcell}}
{{Infobox book
| italic title      =
| name              = Orpheus Britannicus
| image             = Purcell Orpheus Britannicus, first edition 1698, title-page.jpg
| image_size        = 
| border            = 
| alt               = 
| caption           = Title-page of the first edition, London: Henry Playford, 1698
| author            = [Henry Purcell](/source/Henry_Purcell)
| audio_read_by     = 
| title_orig        = 
| orig_lang_code    = 
| title_working     = 
| translator        = 
| illustrator       = 
| cover_artist      = 
| country           = [Kingdom of Great Britain](/source/Kingdom_of_Great_Britain)
| language          = English
| series            = 
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| subject           = 
| genre             = domestic [vocal music](/source/vocal_music)
| set_in            = 
| publisher         = 
| publisher2        = 
| pub_date          = 
| english_pub_date  = 
| published         = '''Volume I'''
{{ubl|London, 1698: [Henry Playford](/source/Henry_Playford); printed by [John Heptinstall](/source/John_Heptinstall)|London, 1706, second edition: John Young; printed by [William Pearson](/source/William_Pearson_(printer))|London, 1706, second edition: John Cullen; printed by William Pearson|London, 1721, third edition: S.H., John Young; printed by William Pearson}}
'''Volume II'''
{{ubl|London, 1702: Henry Playford; printed by William Pearson|London, 1711, second edition: S.H., John Young, John Cullen; printed by William Pearson|London, 1712, second edition: S.H., John Young; printed by William Pearson}}
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}}

thumb|Portrait of Purcell engraved by Robert White after Closterman, as in the first edition of 1698
thumb|Title-page of the second edition of volume I, London: William Pearson 1706

'''''Orpheus Britannicus''''' is a collection of [song](/source/song)s by [Henry Purcell](/source/Henry_Purcell), published posthumously in [London](/source/London) in two volumes, the first in 1698 and the second in 1702. In the preface to the first volume, [Henry Playford](/source/Henry_Playford) – the printer of the volume and the son of the music publisher [John Playford](/source/John_Playford) – praises Purcell's setting of English texts.{{r|grove2}}

The [frontispiece](/source/Frontispiece_(books)) portrait is an engraving by [Robert White](/source/Robert_White_(engraver)) from a painting by or after the studio of [John Closterman](/source/John_Closterman), now in the [National Portrait Gallery](/source/National_Portrait_Gallery_(United_Kingdom)) in London.{{r|npg|npg2|grove3}}

== History ==

The first volume of ''Orpheus Britannicus'' was published in 1698 by [Henry Playford](/source/Henry_Playford);{{r|rism|p=63}} it was printed by [John Heptinstall](/source/John_Heptinstall) using an improved [movable type](/source/movable_type) he had invented, which allowed for [beaming](/source/beaming_(music)) of quavers and shorter notes.{{r|grove}} A second volume, " ... the second book, which renders the first compleat ...", was published by Playford in 1702;{{r|rism|p=63}} it and all subsequent editions were printed by [William Pearson](/source/William_Pearson_(printer)) using a font similar to Heptinstall's, but smaller and neater.{{r|grove}}

An expanded second edition of the first volume was published in 1706 in two printings, one by John Young and one by John Cullen; a third edition was published by 'S.H.' and John Young in 1721.{{r|rism|p=63}} A second edition of the second volume was published by 'S.H.', John Young and John Cullen in 1711, and again by 'S.H.' and John Young in 1712.{{r|rism|p=63}} Various volumes were published under this name by [John Walsh](/source/John_Walsh_(printer)) between about 1730 and 1747; at least one of them was a collection of single-sheet editions of songs from the early years of the eighteenth century.{{r|rism|p=63|smith|p2=280}}

The first publication of a section of Purcell's opera ''[Dido and Aeneas](/source/Dido_and_Aeneas)'' was the air "Ah! Belinda" in ''Orpheus Britannicus'', transposed up one step, from C to D.<ref>Dido and Aeneas</ref>

[Henry Hall](/source/Henry_Hall_(poet)), who had studied composition with Purcell under [John Blow](/source/John_Blow), wrote the dedicatory poems at the beginning of each volume, (1698 and 1702) and also wrote one for Blow's ''Amphion Anglicus''.{{r|grove4}}

''Amphion Anglicus'', a collection of songs, excerpts from odes and [chamber music](/source/chamber_music) by [John Blow](/source/John_Blow), was published in 1700 in emulation of ''Orpheus Britannicus'''.{{r|grove5}}

A later engraver, [Benjamin Cole](/source/Benjamin_Cole_(instrument_maker)) (''fl'' 1740–1760), printed as ''Orpheus Britannicus'' a seemingly unrelated set of engravings which he had made originally for ''The New Universal Magazine'' (1751–1759).{{r|grove6}}

[Benjamin Britten](/source/Benjamin_Britten), working with [Peter Pears](/source/Peter_Pears), realised (arranged) and edited a number of songs from ''Orpheus Britannicus'' for both solo singer with piano <!--and solo singer with orchestra--> as part of ''[Britten's Purcell Realizations](/source/Britten's_Purcell_Realizations)''.<ref>Britten</ref>

== References ==
{{commonscat}}
{{reflist|45em|refs=

<ref name=grove>Stanley Boorman, Eleanor Selfridge-Field, Donald W. Krummel (2001). [https://www-oxfordmusiconline-com.wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/grovemusic/display/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000040101?rskey=xoXcbd&result=1 Printing and Publishing of Music: I. Printing: 3. Printing from type (ii) Early History]. ''Grove Music Online''. Oxford: Oxford University Press. {{doi|10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.40101}}. {{subscription required}}.</ref>

<ref name=grove2>Peter Holman, Robert Thompson (2001). [https://www-oxfordmusiconline-com.wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/grovemusic/display/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-6002278249?rskey=eHn4r4&result=3 Purcell, Henry (ii): 2. Domestic vocal music]. ''Grove Music Online''. Oxford: Oxford University Press. {{doi|10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.6002278249}}. {{subscription required}}.</ref>

<ref name=grove3>Peter Holman, Robert Thompson (2001). [https://www-oxfordmusiconline-com.wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/grovemusic/display/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-6002278249?rskey=eHn4r4&result=3 Purcell, Henry (ii): 8. Portraits]. ''Grove Music Online''. Oxford: Oxford University Press. {{doi|10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.6002278249}}. {{subscription required}}.</ref>

<ref name=grove4>Bruce Wood (2001). [https://www-oxfordmusiconline-com.wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/grovemusic/display/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000012229?rskey=Z0Eugc&result=2 Hall, Henry (i)]. ''Grove Music Online''. Oxford: Oxford University Press. {{doi|10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.12229}}. {{subscription required}}.</ref>

<ref name=grove5>Bruce Wood (2001). [https://www-oxfordmusiconline-com.wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/grovemusic/display/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000003306?rskey=pjaFTn&result=1 Blow, John]. ''Grove Music Online''. Oxford: Oxford University Press. {{doi|10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.03306}}. {{subscription required}}.</ref>

<ref name=grove6>Stanley Boorman (2001). [https://www-oxfordmusiconline-com.wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/grovemusic/display/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000006070?rskey=Z7IxdP&result=1 Cole, Benjamin]. ''Grove Music Online''. Oxford: Oxford University Press. {{doi|10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.06070}}. {{subscription required}}.</ref>

<ref name=npg>[https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw05172 Henry Purcell: by or after studio of John Closterman]. London: National Portrait Gallery. Accessed February 2024.</ref>

<ref name=npg2>[https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw131681/Henry-Purcell Henry Purcell: by Robert White, after John Closterman]. London: National Portrait Gallery. Accessed February 2024.</ref>

<ref name=rism>Karlheinz Schlager (editor) (1978). ''Einzeldrucke vor 1800'', volume 7, Plowden–Schreyer. [Répertoire international des sources musicales](/source/R%C3%A9pertoire_international_des_sources_musicales), part A:i/7. Kassel; Basel; Tours; London: Bärenreiter. {{isbn|3761805683}}.</ref>

<ref name=smith>William C. Smith, Charles Humphries (1968). ''A bibliography of the musical works published by the firm of John Walsh during the years 1721-1766''. London: The Bibliographical Society.</ref>

}}

*Curtis Price. "Dido and Aeneas", ''[Grove Music Online](/source/Grove_Dictionary_of_Music_and_Musicians)'', ed. L. Macy (accessed November 30, 2006), [http://www.grovemusic.com/ grovemusic.com] (subscription access).

*Jennifer Doctor, Judith LeGrove, Paul Banks. "Benjamin Britten: Arrangements by Britten: Purcell Realizations and Editions", ''[Grove Music Online](/source/Grove_Dictionary_of_Music_and_Musicians)'', ed. L. Macy (accessed November 30, 2006), [http://www.grovemusic.com/ grovemusic.com] (subscription access).

Category:Music books
Category:Compositions by Henry Purcell

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Orpheus Britannicus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orpheus_Britannicus) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orpheus_Britannicus?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.