What are Henry Purcell’s fantasias for viols?

Henry Purcell’s fantasias for viols—also known as "fancies"—represent some of his earliest evidence of mastery as a composer. These works are written for consorts of viols in three, four, five, six, and seven parts.1

The nine four-part fantasias are dated to the summer of 1680, and the others were likely composed around the same time. By writing these, Purcell was reviving a musical form that was already considered out of date, yet he executed them with the skill of a veteran. In the context of 17th-century England, these fantasias were typically fugal compositions based on melodic imitation. They mark a late flowering of the English chamber music tradition, which Purcell skillfully blended with his own creative voice.12