The Ashgate Research Companion to Henry Purcell provides a comprehensive and authoritative review of current research into Purcell and the world of Restoration music, with contributions from leading experts in the field. Coverage includes: the sources of Purcell's music and transmission; new ways of approaching the study of Purcell's techniques of composition; performance practice; theatre culture; texts and symbolism - both the political and social context, and reception history. The book will be essential reading for anyone studying the music and culture of the seventeenth century.