How did French and Italian music influence Henry Purcell’s style?

Henry Purcell’s musical style was defined by a unique fusion of the rich English polyphonic tradition with the emerging Baroque influences from Italy and France.1

• Italian Influence: Purcell actively sought to emulate the "most fam’d Italian Masters," particularly in his instrumental sonatas and secular vocal music. His songs frequently incorporated recitative and arias modeled after the Italian solo cantata. As his career progressed, his dramatic works increasingly adopted Italianate characteristics, often requiring greater technical agility from soloists.23
• French and Continental Influence: Purcell’s exposure to Continental styles was facilitated by his master at the Chapel Royal, Pelham Humfrey, who had studied abroad. This influence is evident in the expressive vocal declamation found in his verse anthems and the inclusion of dignified, lively overtures and ritornellos for string orchestras.4

By blending these foreign innovations with the emotional grandeur of English polyphony, Purcell created a highly original synthesis that marked a high point in the development of the sonata form.1