Tony Palmer's Film About Henry Purcell - England, My England [DVD]

I'm not sure what to make of this. I watched it on TV when it was first shown in the mid 1990s and remember enjoying it and it certainly gave me a lot of pleasure this time around, even if I did not find Tony Palmer's concept of exploring Purcell's life and times through the eyes of a group of actors in the mid 1960s (or so it says on the DVD sleeve; hairstyles and events would suggest a decade later) especially effective, however literate and amusing the script by Charles Wood and John Osborne may be. The acting is, of course, very fine; how could it be otherwise with a cast featuring Simon Callow, Corin Redgrave, Rebecca Front, John Shrapnel and the late, great Robert Stephens? Michael Ball is, moreover, a revelation as Purcell, confounding all my (unfair) expectations. The chief glory of the film is, inevitably and quite rightly, Purcell's sublime music, performed superbly by the English Baroque Soloists under John Eliot Gardiner and featuring such expert soloists as Susan Graham, Lynne Dawson, Nancy Argenta and David Thomas. The musical excerpts underpin the whole film with point and wit and are in themselves ample justification for what is by any standards an intriguing DVD.

Purcell, who was court composer to King Charles the Second (The Merry Monarch) and later to William III and Queen Mary II, is probably one of England's greatest composers and this wonderful production was very well received when it was on TV to mark his 300 year anniversary.

This is not just a beautifully played biography of Purcell, which Michael Ball portrays as a lovable, talented man, but also a moving and realistic depiction of the considerably harsher lives of those in London at that time.

The drama is balanced in three parts to involve the viewer in the music, the life of Purcell in the late 1600's and how to relate to him in the present day. Thus the drama of Purcell's life is done in flashback from Simon Callow (who also plays King Charles II) as an actor in 1960's London struggling to present Purcell to a twentieth century audience. This helps us to understand better what was happening to Purcell when we slipped into the flashbacks of the past. King Charles II had restored the monarchy to England after the horrors of the English Civil War and the Puritan Protectorate under Cromwell. He required a talented Court Composer and young Purcell who had spent all his life in the service of music with his father and uncle, both professionals, to train him was just the right man.

The period dramas set at the courts of King Charles and his successors are done in full lavish costume drama style. The selection of music is injected at those moments which are appropriate for the unfolding drama, both in the great events of British history and the personal triumphs and disasters of Purcell's life. The musical performances, as I remember them, were all sublime and uplifting.

The general authenticity of the production was memorable because much of it was filmed in the original places in which Purcell lived and worked. This is no fictional account of the great Restoration composer but an attempt to capture the spirit of his music through an understanding of the man. If you love classical music or good history this is a must!

'England, my England' has proved itself over the decades to be an exemplary way to deal with history, art and artist. The combination of talent across the board -actors, screenwriter, director.. Etc.- shows what actual inspiration in the right combination can achieve. While many film of that period by now have been reduced to a certain retro-charm, this one feels as fresh and contemporary as can be.