Four Dialogues - I

from Orpheus Britannicus

Henry Purcell (1659-1695)

for soprano (f'-a''), bass (F-e') and bc

Ref. no Pur 01 (in 'cantatas')      Price £ 7.80      sample page      cover page      To order:     

  • Why my Daphne, why complaining? (Z.525)
  • Fair Iris and her Swain (Z.572)

Like many of the songs in Orpheus Britannicus, three of these dialogues were originally written for the stage and published along with the incidental music. The first, Why my Daphne, why complaining, not associated with a play, was probably intended for domestic entertainment, and was published separately in 1691. With the second, Fair Iris and her Swain, it represents a simpler, earlier style than the other two.