Henry Purcell 'music for a while'- A minor 1692

Henry Purcell 'music for a while'- A minor  composed in 1692

Context:

Written in the Baroque era

This piece 'music for a while' was written for a play Oedipus. There is a lady which taunts and persecutes Oedipus for killing her father (she has snakes in her hair).

Ground bass: music is wrriten above a reapeting pattern of bass notes.

Features of ground bass:

Aminor key 

Simple rhythm such as quaver and crotchets

Slow temp

Ends with a perfect cadence

Lament: a passionate expression of grief (  this piece is in a song form)

- falling phrases , minor key , slow tempo 

This piece is scorred for soprano voice

Instrumentation: 

Vocals - play the melody 

Harpsichord - plays as the accompaniment

Cello-  plays…