BLOW, John 1649-1708

Amphion Anglicus. A Work of Many Compositions, For One, Two, Three and Four Voices: With several Accompagnements of Instrumental Musick; And A Thorow-Bass to each Song: Figur'd for an Organ, Harpsichord, or Theorboe-Lute. [Score].

London: Printed by William Pearson, for the Author; and are to be Sold at his House in the Broad-Sanctuary, over-against Westminster-Abby, and by Henry Playford, at his Shop in the Temple-Change, Fleet-Street, 1700.

Small folio. Contemporary half mid-tan calf with marbled boards. 1f. (title printed in red and black), 3ff. (dedication), vi (letters of praise to Blow from London musicians, etc.), vii-viii ("A Pindarick Ode, On Dr. Blow's Excellency in the Art of Music. By Mr. Herbert)", 1f. (recto Playford catalogue, verso "A Table of the Songs Contain'd in this Book" ), 216 pp.

Decorative handstamp of "Revd. Frederick Ronch M. A." to front pastedown. "Bern:d. Wright" in contemporary manuscript to upper outer corner of title; "[?]Barnard" in contemporary manuscript to foot of p. 2; several notes added in manuscript to blank printed staves of pp. 6 and 216 (some canceled on p. 6); markings and flourishes to pp. 6, 7, 47, and 216 in contemporary manuscript; "[?]Colcher" in contemporary manuscript to foot of p. 47.

Binding worn, rubbed, and bumped; upper detached; most of spine lacking. Light uniform browning; title moderately browned and slightly soiled; occasional small stains and minor marginal foxing; final leaf moderately browned and soiled. Lacking frontispiece of the composer drawn and engraved by R. White (supplied in copy).

First Edition. Day & Murrie 183. BUC p. 114. RISM B2985.

Blow was a noted English composer, organist, and teacher. "By his mid-20s he had become the foremost musician in England, and in later years he was the elder statesman of the Restoration school, whose chief luminary was Henry Purcell." Bruce Wood in Grove Music Online

Inspired by Henry Purcell's Orpheus Britannicus, Blow published this "imposing collection of his songs and vocal chamber music" by subscription. In it he "shows a marked disposition towards ostinato-like basses. But the range of his vocal music ... is too varied to permit a neat summary." TNG Vol. 2, pp. 806-808.

Item #40778

Price: $600.00  other currencies