Purcell, Henry - Passacaglia, Pavane and Chacony for 2 violins, viola and violoncello

Purcell, Henry
Passacaglia, Pavane and Chacony for String Quartet

Henry Purcell (1659-1695) died at the age of only 36, leaving behind numerous works of all genres common at the time (the Zimmermann catalog lists nearly 900 titles). He is unanimously considered the most important composer in England. Contemporaries approvingly called him the "Orpheus britannicus."
The Passacaglia, originally for chorus and orchestra, is from the opera King Arthur.
The Pavane is composed for three violins and bass. In this arrangement, some passages have been made comfortably playable for "normal" string quartet by exchanging voices.
The Chacony in G minor is still one of Purcell's best known pieces. In the present arrangement, an attempt has been made to take into account the performance practice of the time: depending on the musical context, dotted notes are notated quasi double-dotted (e.g. bar 1) or, as in the source, single-dotted (e.g. bar 70 ff.).
All trills (without postlaps) should not be long, but rather executed like a double bounce.

2Vl, Va, Vc
arranged by Claus-D. Ludwig.
Score & 4 parts / 28 pages