Kelemen Judit

Music on the Death of Queen Mary II by Henry Purcell
Judit Kelemen

Music pieces composed on the death of Queen Mary II by Purcell are generally mentioned as “funeral ode” in Hungary, meaning especially the Funeral Sentences or any versions of Thou knowest Lord in addition to the Funeral March and the Canzona. Just a few people know the proper genre and the real story of these pieces, and even fewer musicians have heard about the other compositions (two elegies) also made for this occasion by Purcell. This essay makes the origins of these pieces clear, describes the main features of them, and looks at the reasons for so many misunderstandings of them by observing some of CD-s and their reviews. (Illustrated by texts of music pieces both in original version and Hungarian translation.)