Henry Purcell

Biography

Henry Purcell (c. 10 September 1659 – 21 November 1695) was an English composer of Baroque music, best known for his more than 100 songs, the opera "Dido and Aeneas," and his incidental music for a version of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" called "The Fairy Queen."

Purcell's musical style is distinctively English, though it incorporates elements from Italian and French traditions. He is generally regarded as one of the greatest English opera composers and, alongside John Dunstaple and William Byrd, considered one of England's most important early music composers.

Biography text from Last.fm, available under CC BY-SA.