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If the Sonatas da chiesa comprising Arcangelo Corelli's Opus I are said to contain classic Baroque harmonic procedures, then the harmony found in Henry Purcell's 1683 set can be described as mannered. Maybe tortured is a better word, since Purcell takes so many unusual turns. The structure, on the other hand, is clearly derived from the rather staid disruptive canzona of the late Renaissance. Four movements alternating slow with quick motion suffice as in the Corelli example, but they are all quite serious and devoid of  ouvert association with dance. Perhaps the Anglicans, for whom Purcell wrote his music, were aware of the Corelli's Catholic style and sought to distance themselves from it. The second movement is marked Canzona, but is clearly a monothematic ricercare as is the Presto finale.

Henry Purcell (1659-1695) was one of the central figures of the Middle Baroque Era along with Dietrich Buxtehude, Archangelo Corelli, and Jean-Baptiste Lully. Like Buxtehude, Purcell created a major legacy; but his is all the more amazing because he did it within the very short life span of 36 years.

In order to create this edition of Sonnata No. 11, I worked from facsimiles of Playford & Carr's original 1683 partbooks currently available from the firm of Performer's Facsimilies of New York. Purcell, like Corelli, indicates a SSB ensemble consisting of two violins and continuo. The specified keyboard instruments are organ and harpsichord. Organ would have been utilized in all performances in the Anglican Church, but for marketing purposes it was wise for Playford & Carr to have indicated harpsichord as an alternative. Again I have given over the SSB to two oboes and bassoon. As the key of F minor would have been formidable on the instruments of the day, I have transposed the work up a step to the key of G Minor. To be sure, the original F Minor was an ultra dark key in the meantone temperament of the day, but G minor is not too far off the mark.