For decades, the entire score was credited to Purcell. However, current research highlights that:

It is part of a "semi-opera," a Restoration-era English theatrical form that combined spoken dialogue with elaborate musical and dance interludes.

The piece exhibits Italianate influences, featuring the dramatic string writing and counterpoint typical of the late Baroque period. Key Features of The Tempest , Z. 631

This specific movement is intended to evoke the atmospheric and supernatural elements of Shakespeare's The Tempest , which was adapted for the late 17th-century stage by Thomas Shadwell.