Abstract
Italian influences bad been prominent In English music since the early seventeenth century were still the most important after the Restoration, which found English music in a backward state. Yet due to the admiration of Charles II for both the absolutism of Louis XIV and the entertainments which he enjoyed, and to the French tastes fashionable among the aristocracy, French dance rhythms held away in theatre music and overflowed into the court ode and even into church music. Some French opera and ballet were produced in London; French pieces were copied into English manuscripts, and some apparently enjoyed quite a vogue. The French overture developed by Lully in his court ballets from established dance forms and promptly taken up by other composers in France and elsewhere in Europe, received at Purcell's hands a new importance, being treated with considerable diversity. Purcell was expert at writing for the theatre the French dances already popular at court. Their rhythms appear in his songs and anthems. He was obviously inspired, too, by Lully's treatment of the characteristic dance. He had limited opportunities for using the Lullian choral and instrumental chaconns, but -showed interest in this form. In his airs and recitative Italian example predominates, though French dance forms lend variety. The general layout of choral forms shows French influence, though only in a few particular cases does this influents penetrate further. The keyboard music maintains basically the French forms and style taken over by his predecessors, though it is very individual. and Italian influences, too, are present. Purcall's use of French models was partly absorbed from the atmosphere in which he was brought up, but interesting results came from his custom of deliberately adopting, combining, and transcending, with his unique personality and technique, everything useful that came his way.