An example of a song in which Purcell uses many dynamic markings would be the No. 11 Chorus, in which Purcell uses dynamic throughout the piece, leaving little to the conductors interpretation. The piece starts in ‘forte’, which echoes what is going on in at the time, as Aeneas is about to pursue his love for Dido. All instruments as well as the chorus start the piece, and all are given the dynamic marking of forte, which creates the a loud and joyful atmosphere which Purcell effectively creates. When the phrase “and the cool shady fountains” is sung, the chorus as well as the instruments are now marked as piano. There is no diminuendo preceding it, and so it is a sudden change of dynamic. The piano markings, accidentals, and what is being said all create a dim atmosphere for that particular phrase. Immediately after the phrase, there is a mezzo forte marking, which crescendos into forte two bars after. It is note able that after this point there are no further crescendos or mezzo forte markings in the song. In fact, Purcell only uses piano and forte markings from this point onwards. This sudden change of dynamic adds liveliness to the piece.
The No. 2 song is also a great example of how Purcell uses dynamic markings in Act I. Here, the use of dynamics and stress points are crucial to create the atmosphere required: Dido is in a state of distress, and that is echoes through the dynamics. It begins in piano, to echo Dido’s solemnness and distress, the only forte marking used is countered two bars later with a piano marking. The song grows louder, through the frequent use of crescendos, which portrays a greater level of torment for Dido. The phrase “Yet would not” is stressed, suggesting that it is the most powerful and climatic part of the song. This is further confirmed as from this point, the piece gets softer, with only a single piano marking after it.
Most commonly, however, the songs in Act I tend to begin with clear dynamic markings, however, by the end of the song, the dynamics are left out. This is evident in the overture, in which Section A has clear dynamic markings, beginning in piano with dramatic and sudden changes; including a sforzando, as well as a forte marking directly followed by a pianissimo. The quiet start followed by dramatic dynamic changes foreshadows what is going to happen in the opera, in Act I in particular. The second section of the overture, in contrast, has no dynamic markings, aside from an initial ‘forte’.
Although Purcell is quite inconsistent with dynamics, there are very few pieces with absolutely no dynamic markings whatsoever. Recitatives such as the No. 3 and 9, have no dynamic markings. However, both were intended to merely move the story forward, rather than give emotion, or set a certain type of atmosphere. The only recitative with notable dynamic markings would be No. 13, “Prelude for the Witches”. The dynamics at the start of the piece are very specific; it begins in forte, only to suddenly change to pianissimo five bars later. Since this the first time the audience is introduced to the witches, this adds to dramatic atmosphere that Purcell aimed to achieve, thus making it dissimilar to previous recitatives. There is also accented notes with forte markings, which are immediately followed by diminuendos and a piano marking. This also adds to the effect created, and sets the scene for the sorceress to enter. Immediately before her entrance, however, Purcell uses the dynamic marking ‘fpp’ which is not used at any other time in the opera. This marks the entrance for the sorceress, which suggests the witches’ sudden and dramatic nature. From this point on, however, there is no further dynamic markings, which allows the singer to alter dynamics as she chooses to.
In summary, Purcell utilises a variety of methods to get the desired dynamics. As shown above, he is sometimes specific about how loud or soft he wants a particular piece, or section of a piece to be. However, in other sections and pieces, dynamics are left open to the interpretation of the conductors or performers. It is difficult to see any consistency in Purcell’s use of dynamics, and since scores may have been slightly altered over time, we cannot be certain that the lack of dynamic markings were indeed intentional. It is evident however, that in Act I, Purcell incorporates both gradual and terraced dynamics, forte and piano, and, most obviously, dynamic markings and the lack of them.
