Henry Purcell – The Fairy Queen

Henry Purcell – The Fairy Queen
An Opera reprented at the Queen's-Theatre By Their Majesties Servants
The Deller Consort & Stour Music Chorus and Orchestra – Alfred Deller, dir.
Harmonia Mundi HMD 231 (HM 231, HM 232, HM 233) [LPx3]
Harmonia Mundi HMU 231 [LPx3]
Harmonia Mundi HM 231 [LPx3]
London - RCA « Red Seal » SER 5666 / 68 [LPx3, UK]
Harmonia Mundi « HM plus » HMP 390 257 / 58 [CDx2]
Harmonia Mundi « Musque d'abord » HMA 190 257 / 58 [CDx2]
Harmonia Mundi « 1 + 1 » HMX 290 257 / 58 [CDx2]

Contents:

    Henry Purcell (m) / ?Thomas Betterton (t) after a Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare
    The Fairy Queen (Z. 629, 1693 version)

    LP-1, CD-1

  1. The First Musick: Prelude (Z. 629/1)
  2. The First Musick: Hornpipe (Z.629/1)
  3. The Second Musick: Air (Z. 629/2)
  4. The Second Musick: Rondeau (Z. 629/2)
  5. Overture: Grave / Canzona (Z. 629/3)

    6. Act I

  6. Prelude and Aria (a Fairy, an Elf): Come. Come, come, let us leave the town (Z. 629/4)
  7. Prelude, Aria (a Poet, two Fairies, Elves) and Chorus: Fill up the bowl! (Scene of the drunken poet):(Z. 629/5)
  8. First Act Tune: jig (Z. 629/6)

    9. Act II

  9. Prelude (an Elf): Come all ye songsters of the sky (Z. 629/7)
  10. Prelude (Birds fly down, singing) (Z. 629/8a)
  11. Trio (Three Elves): May the God of Wit inspire (Z. 629/8b)
  12. Trio (Three Elves): While Echo shall remote (Z. 629/8c)
  13. Chorus (Fairies, Elves): Now join your warbling voices all (Z. 629/9)
  14. Aria (Fairy) and Chorus: Sing while we trip it upon the green (Z. 629/10ab)
    A dance of the fairies (Z. 629/10c)

    15. —
  15. Prelude and Aria (Night): See even Night herself is here (Z. 629/11)
  16. Aria (Mystery): I am come to lock all fast (Z. 629/12)
  17. Prelude and Aria (Secrecy): One charming night (Z. 629/13)
  18. Aria (Sleep) and Chorus: Hush, no more (Z. 629/14)
  19. Dance for the followers of night (Z. 629/15)
  20. Second act tune (Z. 629/16)

    21. Act III

  21. Prelude, Aria (a Wood Nymph) and Chorus (Nymphs): If love's a sweet passion (Z. 629/17)
  22. Overture / Symphony: Symphony of the swans (Z. 629/18)
  23. Dance for the fairies (Z. 629/19)
  24. Dance for the green men (Z. 629/20)

    25. LP-2

  25. Aria (another Wood Nymph): Ye gentle spirits of the air appear (Z. 629/21)
  26. Aria (dialogue – Corydon, Mopsa): Now the maids and the men (Z. 629/22)
  27. Aeia (a Water Nymph): When I have often heard (Z. 629/23)
  28. Dance for the Haymakers (Z. 629/24ab)
  29. Aria (Corydon, Mopsa) and Chorus: A thousand, thousand ways we'll find (Z. 629/25)
  30. Third act tune (Z. 629/26)

    31. CD-2

    Act IV

  31. Symphony (Sonata while the sun risees): (Z. 629/27)

    32. —
  32. Aria (Ist Attendant) and Chorus: Now the night is chas'd away (Z. 629/28)
  33. Duet (Two other Attendants): Let the fifes, and the clarions (Z. 629/29)
  34. Entry of Phoebus (Z. 629/30)
  35. Prelude and Aria (Phoebus): When a cruel long winter (Z. 629/31)
  36. Chorus (Fairies and Elves): Hail! Great parent of all us (Z. 629/32)
  37. Prelude and Aria (Spring): Thus the ever grateful spring (Z. 629/33)
  38. Prelude and Aria (Summer): Here's the summer, sprightly, gay (Z. 629/34)
  39. Prelude and Aria (Autumn): See my many colour'd fields (Z. 629/35)
  40. Prelude and Aria (Winter): Now winter come slowly (Z. 629/36)
  41. Chorus (Fairies and Elves): Hail! great parent of us all (Repeat) (Z. 629/37)
  42. Fourth Act tune (Z. 629/38)

    43. LP-3

    Act V

  43. Prelude to Juno's song (Z. 629/39a)
  44. Aria (Juno): Thrice Happy Lovers (Epithalamium) (Z. 629/39bc)
  45. Aria (a Woman): O let me weep (The plaint) (Z. 629/40)
  46. Entry dance (Z. 629/41)
  47. Symphony (Z. 629/42)
  48. Aria (a Chinese man): Thus the gloomy world at first began to shine (Z. 629/43)
  49. Prelude, Aria (a Chinese woman) and Chorus: Thus happy and free (Z. 629/44)

    50. —
  50. Ground and Aria (Chinese man): Yes, Xansi, in your look I find (Z. 629/45)
  51. Monkies' Dance (Z. 629/46)
  52. Prelude and Aria (a Chinese woman): Hark how all things in one sound agree (Z. 629/47)
  53. Aria (Second chinese woman) and Chorus: Hark, how the echoing air (Z. 629/48)
  54. Duet (Two Chinese Women) and Chorus: Sure the dull god of marriage (Z. 629/49)
  55. Prelude (Hymen enters) (Z. 629/50a)
    Aria (Hymen): See, see, I obey (Z. 629/50b)
  56. Duet (Both women): Turn then thine eyes (Z. 629/50c)
  57. Aria (Hymen): My torch indeed will from such brightness shine (Z. 629/50d)
  58. Trio (Women and Hymen): They shall be as happy (Z. 629/50ef)
  59. Chaconne (Dance for the chinese man and woman) (Z. 629/51)
  60. Chorus: They shall be as happy as they're fair (Z. 629/51)

Performers:
Honor Sheppard (soprano – Fairy, Night, Second Wood Nymph, Spring, Second Chinese woman, a woman), Jean Knibbs (soprano – Fairy, Mystery, Water Nymph, First Attendant, First Chinese woman), Christina Clarke (soprano – Fairy, First Wood Nymph, Juno), Alfred Deller (counter-tenor – Elf, Mopsa, Second Attendant, Summer, Chinese man), Mark Deller (counter-tenor – Secrecy, Third Attendant), John Buttrey (tenor – Elf, Autumn), Neil Jenkins (tenor – Phoebus), Maurice Bevan (baritone – Elf, Sleep, Winter, Hymen), Norman Platt (baritone – Drunken poet, Corydon)
Stour Music Chorus and Orchestra
Penelope Howard (leader)
Alfred Deller, dir.

Playing time: (23' 21" + 24' 58") + (22' 07" + 20' 56") + (18' 28" + 19' 43") = 2h 09' 33"

Recording site and date:
Unknown [1972];
Rel.: 1972 (HMD), 1973 (RCA), 1992 (HM plus), 1998 (HMA), 2005 (HM 1+1)

Excerpts:
[5]-[24], [26]-[44], [46]-[60] Vanguard "Everyman" SRV 311 / 12 [LPx2] The Fairy Queen
[9]-[12], [26], [31], [48]-[51] Harmonia mundi HMX 290 261 / 264 [CDx4] Alfred Deller - Portrait of a Legend
[45] Harmonia mundi HMX 290 605 / 607 [CDx3] Opéra Baroque

Reviewed in:
American Record Guide (Vol./#-p.): 69/3-148 (May/June 2006)
Diapason (#-p.): 171-25 (November 1972 (as HMD 231)), 390-126 (February 1993 (as HMP 390257.58))
Gramophone (Vol./#-p.): -227 (July 1973)

Comments:
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Pierre-F. Roberge