Purcell: The Fairy Queen / Harrhy, Nelson, Priday, Smith, Thomas, Varcoe, Gardiner
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CD Details
Edition: Music CDCD Release Date: 1990-10-25
Music Label: Archiv Produktion
Soundtracks:
Music CD 1
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: First Music: 1. Prelude
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: First Music: 2. Hornpipe
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Second Music: 3. Air
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Second Music: 4. Rondeau
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Second Music: 5. Overture
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act I: 6. Song in Two Parts: Come, come, come, let us leave the Town
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act I: 7. Scene of the Drunken Poet: Fill up the Bow!
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act I: 8. First Act Tune: Jig
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act II: 9. Prelude and Song: Come all ye Songsters of the Sky
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act II: 10. Prelude
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act II: 11. Trio: May the God of Wit inspire
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act II: 12. Echo
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act II: 13a. Now joyn your Warbling Voices all
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act II: 13b. A Dance of Fairies
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act II: 13c. Song and Chorus: Sing while we trip it on the Green
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act II: 14. Song: See, even Night her self is here (NIGHT)
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act II: 15. Song: I am come to lock all fast (MYSTERY)
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act II: 16. Song: One charming Night (SECRESIE)
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act II: 17. Song and Chorus: Hush, no more, be silent all (SLEEP)
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act II: 18. A Dance for the Followers of Night
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act II: 19. Second Act Tune: Air
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act III: 20. A Song in Two Parts and Chorus: If Love's a Sweet Passion
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act III: 21. Overture: Symphony while the Swans come forward
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act III: 22. Dance for the Fairies
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act III: 23. Dance for the Green Men
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act III: 24. Song: Ye Gentle Spirits of the Air, appear
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act III: 25. Now the Maids and the Men
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act III: 26. Song: When I have often heard (A NYMPH)
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act III: 27. A Dance of Haymakers
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act III: 28. A Thousand Thousand ways we'll find
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act III: 29. Third Act Tune: Hornpipe
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act IV: 30. Symphony
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act IV: 31. Now the Night is chac'd away
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act IV: 32. Let the Fifes, and the Clarions
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act IV: 33. Entry of Phoebus
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act IV: 34. When a cruel long Winter/35. Hail! Great Parent of us all
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act IV: 36. Thus the ever Grateful Spring
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act IV: 37. Here's the Summer, Sprightly, Gay
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act IV: 38. See my many Colour'd Fields
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act IV: 39. Now Winter comes Slowly
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act IV: Fourth Act Tune: Air
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act V: 41. Prelude
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act V: 42. Thrice happy Lovers
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act V: 43. O let me weep
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act V: 44. Entry Dance
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act V: 45. Symphony
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act V: 46. Thus the gloomy World
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act V: 47. Thus Happy and Free
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act V: 49. Monkeys' Dance
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act V: 50. Hark how all things
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act V: 51. Hark now the Echoing Air
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act V: 52. Sure the dull God of Marriage
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act V: 53. Prelude
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act V: 54. See, see, I obey
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act V: 55. Turn then thine Eyes
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act V: 56. My Torch, indeed
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act V: 57. They shall be as happy
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act V: 59. They shall be as happy
- The Fairy Queen, semi-opera, Z. 629: Act V: 60. Dance for Chinese Man and Woman
Music reviews of Purcell: The Fairy Queen / Harrhy, Nelson, Priday, Smith, Thomas, Varcoe, Gardiner
Music Review: a voice teacher and early music fan
Rating: 4 Stars
TOO MANY COOKS SPOIL THE POT!!
'The Fairy Queen', an adaptation of Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' with "Singing, Dancing and Machines interwoven, after the manner of an opera" was first performed on May 2, 1692 at the Queen's Theatre, Dorset Garden, London, possibly as a birthday tribute to Queen Mary.
This score, which is only partially in Purcell's autograph, has served as the basis of the edition specially prepared by Peter Holman and John Eliot Gardiner for performance at the 1981 Gottingen Handel Festival and this subsequent recording. The surviving music that Purcell composed for the 1693 revival is here recorded complete for the first time.
This recording is a huge disppointment for me because after hearing tne 1994 Nikolaus Harnoncourt disc with his line-up of very excellent soloists (7 in all) and the skilled Arnold Schoenburg Choir, I really thought that Gardiner's recording would at least be at that level, but I had to remind myself that this was early in Gardiner's wonderful sojourn, and I do think that if he did this today he would have improved on the following faults: he used 10 soloists, all of which were capable, but dramatically failures; the 3 that I thought did skilled characterizations were: Jeniifer Smith (soprano), Martyn Hill(tenor) and Stephen Varcoe (bass). The worst performers over all were Wynford Evans (very odd tonality) and the two countertenors were really lackluster and conveyed no personality whatsoever. The comic scene that is so great in this semi-opera between the two 'gay' men was so excellent in Harnoncourt's version (it was performed in that by Michael Chance and Robert Hole absolutely superbly). Timothy Penrose and David Thomas performed it like an academic exercise. It seems to me overall that Gardiner wanted to give many of his choir members an opportunity to solo, but 'too many cooks spoil the pot' and this very alive, vibrant, mostly humorous semi-opera died in many places.
The Monteverdi Choir as always was excellent and the small amount of time when they were singing was (for me) the only really enjoyable listening. Of course, to that last comment I must add the English Baroque Soloists who also added to the listening pleasure.
I'm not 'trashing' this disc, and if I had not already listened to the Harnoncourt and also seen the dvd of it from the English National Opera, I might have made a modified assessment. But if you are going to purchase this work, go for the Harnoncourt or 'The Sixteen' which is also very fine!!!
Description of Purcell: The Fairy Queen / Harrhy, Nelson, Priday, Smith, Thomas, Varcoe, Gardiner
This 1981 recording was the first period-instrument version of Purcell's most famous "semi-opera." This Restoration-era hybrid was a play with a complete (spoken) script plus numerous musical numbers for soloists, chorus, and pit orchestra. The Fairy Queen is based on Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, although you'd never know it from the music, which has (typically for the genre) no real connection to the plot. (Most of the songs and dances are masques performed for the entertainment of Titania, Oberon, or Hippolytus.) The advantage to this is that Purcell's score can be performed fairly well on its own. The Fairy Queen includes some of Purcell's best-loved comic scenes ("The Drunken Poet" and "Coridon and Mopsa") and songs ("Hark the echoing Air," "Ye gentle spirits," and "Hark how all things in one sound rejoice"--the last sung here by Jennifer Smith, sounding more beautiful than on any recording she's made since). Other highlights include the "Masque of the Four Seasons" and an allegory wherein Night, Mystery, Secrecy, and Sleep appear to sing Titania to her rest. Standouts from a solid cast include sweet-voiced, nimble soprano Judith Nelson and baritone Stephen Varcoe, whose solos as Winter and as Night are breathtaking. --Matthew WestphalGeneral CDs
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- Featured Composers, A-Z > ( P ) > Purcell, Henry
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