Henry Butler (viol player)

Henry Butler (born in England, died 1652 in Spain) was an English composer and viol player. From 1623 until his death he lived in Spain, serving as a musician in the chapel of Philip IV, under the names Enrique (or Enrrique) Botelero[1] and Enrico Butler.[2]

Butler and William Young, an English viol player working at the Austrian court in Innsbruck, were the first English composers to call their works sonatas.[3] Young published 11 sonatas in 1653,[4] whereas all of Butler's works have survived only in undated manuscripts. His three sonatas were for violin, bass viol and continuo.[2]

The three sonatas have been recorded by The Newberry Consort.[5]

  1. ^ "LOC Authorities". Archived from the original on 14 July 2012. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  2. ^ a b Phillips, Elizabeth V., ed. (1991). Henry Butler: Collected Works, with basso continuo realizations and commentary by Jack Ashworth. Madison, WI: A-R Editions. p. vii. ISBN 0-89579-263-X.
  3. ^ Keates, Jonathan (1996). Purcell: A Biography. London: Random House. p. 93. ISBN 1-55553-287-X.
  4. ^ Boyden, David D. (1965). The History of Violin Playing from its Origins to 1761. London: Oxford University Press. pp. 237–38. ISBN 978-0-19-816183-7.
  5. ^ OCLC Reference to 1989 Recording 'Musick for Severall Friends' on Harmonia Mundi. OCLC 22585199.