Fantazias & In Nomines

Henry Purcell (1659-1695) held numerous appointments at the Royal court and Westminster Abbey, and is considered by many to be the greatest ever English-born composer. His prolific work covered all fields: orchestral, ecclesiastical, operatic, theatrical, incidental, and chamber music were all enriched by his output.

Fantazias And In Nomines is a collection of his 15 Fantasies and 2 In Nomines, Z. 731-747. Purcell is credited with popularising the hitherto arcane form of the Fantasy, perhaps most famously in his Fanstasia Upon One Note, where a middle C is sustained throughout – in live performances this issometimes played by a volunteer from the audience!

This full score edition has been edited by the renowned musicologist Robert Thurston Dart.