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Determining the Connection Between Henry Purcell's King Arthur and Jean-Baptist Lully's Isis

Presentation Type

Event

Abstract

Scholars have consistently connected the ‘Frost Scene’ from Henry Purcell’s 1691 opera King Arthur to the Frozen Scythia scene from Jean-Baptiste Lully’s 1677 opera Isis. This connection has been repeated by many, but there is a lack of tangible evidence provided. My comparative analysis concludes despite their many similarities, the two excerpts are not duplicates. Rather, Purcell developed musical ideas from Lully to express the scene he was attempting to create. Determining the authenticity of this connection will determine if Purcell took any inspiration from Lully at all and prevent scholars from ascribing influence where it may not be warranted.

Start Date

13-4-2021 10:00 AM

End Date

13-4-2021 11:00 AM

Faculty Advisor

Alison Altstatt

Department

School of Music

Student Type

Undergraduate Student

Comments

This entry was part of the following session of the event:

  • Session title: Interpretations & Environmental Science; Tuesday, April 13, 2021; 10:00 to 11:00 a.m.; Moderator: Suzanne Freedman.

Electronic copy is not available through UNI ScholarWorks.

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Apr 13th, 10:00 AM Apr 13th, 11:00 AM

Determining the Connection Between Henry Purcell's King Arthur and Jean-Baptist Lully's Isis

Scholars have consistently connected the ‘Frost Scene’ from Henry Purcell’s 1691 opera King Arthur to the Frozen Scythia scene from Jean-Baptiste Lully’s 1677 opera Isis. This connection has been repeated by many, but there is a lack of tangible evidence provided. My comparative analysis concludes despite their many similarities, the two excerpts are not duplicates. Rather, Purcell developed musical ideas from Lully to express the scene he was attempting to create. Determining the authenticity of this connection will determine if Purcell took any inspiration from Lully at all and prevent scholars from ascribing influence where it may not be warranted.