The Best of English Classical Music

If you’re looking for the best of English classical music, you’ve come to the right place. Here you’ll find a list of the greatest English composers, performers, and works.

The History of English Classical Music

English classical music is a term typically used to refer to the art music of England, which has developed over a period of more than a thousand years. English composers such as William Byrd, Henry Purcell, and John Blow wrote music that was revered and performed throughout Europe. In the 19th century, English composers such as Sir Edward Elgar and Gustav Holst brought English classical music to new heights.

The Early Years

The early years of English classical music are often said to begin with the work of William Byrd, who was active in the last two decades of the 16th century. Byrd was a pivotal figure in the development of English polyphony, and his works influenced many other composers, both in England and abroad. Other important composers from this period include John Taverner, Christopher Tye, and Thomas Tallis.

The success of English composers in the late 16th and early 17th centuries was due in part to the support they received from patrons such as Sir Edward Dyer, Sir Philip Sidney, and Elizabeth I herself. This period also saw the flourishing of English lute music, with composers such as John Dowland and Anthony Holborne creating works that are still widely performed today.

The Middle Ages

During the Middle Ages, England developed its own style of church music, which was used in the country’s churches and cathedrals. This type of music is known as plainsong or Gregorian chant. It was named after Pope Gregory I, who is said to have organized the music into a system in the late sixth century. Plainsong was sung by monks and was used to accompany religious ceremonies.

The Renaissance

English classical music in the Renaissance was influenced by the continent. Many works were imported, performed and printed. The first peak in English music occurred at the end of the 16th century with composers such as Thomas Tallis and William Byrd. Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas is probably the best known work from this era. The end of the Renaissance also saw a shift away from Catholic Church control over musical composition and performance, leading to greater freedom in English music.

The Baroque Period

The Baroque period of classical music is generally accepted to have begun in 1600 and ended in 1750. The first major figure of the Baroque era was the Italian composer Claudio Monteverdi, who wrote numerous works, including operas, madrigals and church music. Other important Italian composers of the time included Alessandro Scarlatti, Antonio Vivaldi and Arcangelo Corelli.

In England, the most important figure of the early Baroque period was Henry Purcell. He wrote a number of vocal works, including madrigals, anthems and operas. His most famous work is probably ‘Dido and Aeneas’, an opera which tells the story of Dido, the Queen of Carthage, and her doomed love for the Trojan prince Aeneas.

George Frideric Handel was another important English composer who worked in the Baroque style. He is best known for his vocal works, particularly his oratorios, such as ‘Messiah’ and ‘Israel in Egypt’. However, he also wrote a number of instrumental pieces, including concerti grossi and suites for harpsichord.

The Classical Period

The Classical period was an era of classical music between roughly 1730 and 1820. The Classical period falls between the Baroque and the Romantic periods. Classical music has a lighter, clearer texture than Baroque music and is less complex. It is mainly Homophonic, using a clear melody line over a subordinate chordal accompaniment, but counterpoint was by no means forgotten, especially later in the period.

The major composers of the Classical period were Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven. Other notable composers include Bach, Handel and Vivaldi (who composed in the Baroque period).

The Romantic Period

The Romantic period was one of the most important in the history of English classical music. It saw composers breaking away from the traditional forms and structures of the past, and instead exploring new and more personal ways of expression. This was a time when music became increasingly expressive and emotional, and when new genres such as the symphonic poem and programme music were developed. Among the most important composers of the Romantic period were Felix Mendelssohn, Robert Schumann, Franz Liszt, Johannes Brahms, Anton Bruckner, and Richard Wagner.

The Modern Period

The modern classical music period began around 1900 and lasted until present day. Around this time, composers began to explore atonality, which is when music has no key or tonal center. This type of music often uses dissonance (when two notes clash) to create a sense of tension and release. Many modern classical composers also experiment with different rhythms, timbres (or tone colors), and instrumentation.

The Greatest English Classical Composers

England has produced some of the greatest classical composers in history. Among these composers are Henry Purcell, Edward Elgar, and Benjamin Britten. While each composer has their own unique sound, they all share a commonality in that their music is deeply moving and timeless.

William Byrd

William Byrd (1543 – 1623) was an English composer of the Renaissance. He wrote in many of the forms current in England at the time, including mass and motet, as well as works for keyboard and consort of viols. His work shows a strong influence of the continental Renaissance style. Byrd’s best-known pieces include his “Mass for Five Voices”, “The Short Service” and “The Great Service”. He is also known for his settings of the Psalms of David, which are some of the finest examples of Anglican church music.

George Frideric Handel

George Frideric Handel was a renowned German-British baroque composer who is best known for his operas, oratorios and concertos. Handel was born in 1685 in Halle, Germany and died in 1759 in London, England. He is celebrated as one of the greatest classical composers of all time.

Handel’s music is characterized by its expressive melodies, complex harmonies and grandiose style. He was a master at crafting musical pieces that appealed to a wide range of listeners. His most famous works include the operas “Messiah” and “Theodora”, the oratorio “Israel in Egypt”, and the concerti “Water Music” and “Music for the Royal Fireworks”.

Handel was a highly influential figure in the development of classical music. His works have been performed by some of the world’s most prestigious orchestras and ensembles. He continues to be revered by musicians and music lovers alike.

Henry Purcell

Henry Purcell (10 September 1659 – 21 November 1695) was an English composer. Although incorporating Italian and French stylistic elements into his compositions, Purcell’s legacy was a uniquely English form of Baroque music. Purcell produced significant works in several genres, including opera, orchestral, sacred and secular vocal music, and he is generally considered to be one of the greatest English composers. His best-known compositions include the funeral anthem Thou Knowest Lord, the hymn I Sing the Mighty Power of God, the wedding anthem Now That the Sun Hath veiled His Glorious Face, as well as numerous anthems, odes and hymns.

Edward Elgar

Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet OM GCVO (2 June 1857 – 23 February 1934) was an English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. Among his best-known compositions are orchestral works including the Enigma Variations, the Pomp and Circumstance Marches, concertos for violin and cello, and two symphonies. He also composed choral works, including The Dream of Gerontius, chamber music and songs. He was appointed Master of the King’s Musick in 1924.

Benjamin Britten

No English composer of the 20th century was more successful than Benjamin Britten, in terms of both public acclaim and musical quality. His operas, in particular, are among the finest ever written, and his other works – including his choral music, his concertos, and his substantial body of songs – are all highly respected. Even those who don’t particularly enjoy modern classical music tend to be impressed by Britten’s work.

Britten was born in 1913 in Lowestoft, Suffolk, and he showed early promise as a musician. He studied at the Royal College of Music in London with some of the leading composers and musicians of the day, including Frank Bridge (whose pupil he later became) and Gustav Holst. In 1934, he traveled to the United States on a fellowship from the Harvard University Press, and it was during this period that he wrote his first major work, the Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge. This piece brought him considerable attention, and upon his return to England he became a sought-after composer.

Britten’s output was prodigious; over the course of his career, he composed operas, choral music, concertos, songs, and other pieces in nearly every musical genre. Among his better-known works are the operas Peter Grimes (1945) and Billy Budd (1951), the War Requiem (1962), and The Turn of the Screw (1964). He also wrote several notable works for children’s voices, including A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1960) and The Little Match Girl Passion (1963). Toward the end of his life, he composed several pieces inspired by folk music from Suffolk; these include the Cantata Misericordium (1963) and Nocturnal (1972).

Britten was knighted in 1965 and awarded the Order of Merit in 1976; he died in 1976 at the age of 63. His legacy is enormous: not only did he produce a large body of excellent music, but he alsodid much to promote contemporary classical music in Britain through such initiatives as founding festivals at Aldeburgh and Snape Maltings. He remains one of Britain’s best-loved composers.

The Greatest English Classical Works

English classical music is some of the most beautiful and moving music ever written. From the soaring anthems of Purcell to the intimate lute songs of Dowland, English classical music has something for everyone. In this article, we will explore some of the greatest English classical works.

Byrd: The Mass for Four Voices

The Mass for Four Voices, also known as the Short Service, is a setting of the ordinary of the mass by the English composer William Byrd. It is a compact work in eight movements, scored for four voices with two violins, two violas, and basso continuo. The work is characteristic of Byrd’s pared-down style, with each movement containing only the voices and instruments necessary to convey the text clearly. The result is a work of great clarity and elegance, which has been praised as “the perfect expression of Byrd’s musical and religious beliefs.”

Handel: Messiah

George Frideric Handel’s Messiah is a musical setting of the biblical story of the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The work was composed in 1741 and first performed in Dublin, Ireland in 1742. Messiah quickly rose to popularity and has been performed countless times since its debut. The work is organized into three main sections: Part I covers Jesus’ birth and the announcement of his coming; Part II focuses on his Passion and death; and Part III celebrates his resurrection and the ultimate triumph of good over evil. Messiah is widely regarded as one of the greatest classical works ever written, and it remains a beloved Christmas tradition around the world.

Purcell: Dido and Aeneas

Henry Purcell’s (1659-95) Dido and Aeneas, though composed in 1689, is generally agreed to be the first English opera. It achieved tremendous popularity in London and was revived there frequently during the eighteenth century. In the twentieth century it has been performed occasionally in various English cities and has been given a few times at Covent Garden. The last London performance was in 1926, when it was sung in a translation by Gustave Doré (1832-83).

Elgar: Enigma Variations

One of the most popular and beloved classical pieces, Edward Elgar composed the Enigma Variations in 1898. The work is a set of 14 variations on an original theme, each one dedicated to a different friend or colleague of Elgar’s. The “enigma” refers to the fact that there is a hidden melody within the variations that is only revealed at the very end.

Britten: War Requiem

Britten: War Requiem, Op. 66, is a choral composition by Benjamin Britten, with words by Wilfred Owen. It was composed in 1962 and 1963 for the reconsecration of Coventry Cathedral, which had been destroyed during the Coventry Blitz of 14 October 1940. Its first performance was given on 30 May 1962 in the reconsecrated cathedral, with Seiji Ozawa conducting the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, London and Walter Susskind as chorus master; Galina Vishnevskaya sang the soprano part and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau the baritone part.