Henry Purcell: 4 Trios for 2 Violins and Violoncello (Or Violas)

📙 These trios have been taken from a collection of handwritten scores from the 17th century, kept at the British Museum, London, Add. Ms. 33236, containing also works by Baptist, Blow, Colista, Corelli, Locke, Ruggiero, and anonymous composers, as well as three three-part fantasias by Purcell, edited by Herbert Just in 1936 for Nagels Musik-Archiv, following another source (British Museum, London, Add. Ms. 30930). While the fantasias are evidently written for viols (gambas), the four present trios Purcell most likely intended for performance on two violins and violoncello just as much as on two treble viols and one bass viol.
Presumably, they were written later than 1680, as they do not appear in Purcell's autograph collection of that year. Each part can either be played by a single instrument or by a group. We wish to acknowledge our indebtedness to the British Museum for preparing the microfilms.