Purcell - King Arthur / Timon of Athens

Purcell: King Arthur or the British worthy & "The Masque" (from Timon of Athens)
Deller Consort and Choir - Alfred Deller, dir. & The King's Musick - Roderick Skeaping, dir.
Harmonia mundi HMC 90 252 / 253 [CD]

Contents:

    Henry Purcell: King Arthur or the British Worthy (Z 628, 1691)

    CD-1

  1. Overture
    1. Overture
        a) 1st Music (Z. 628/1)
        b) 2nd Music (Z. 628/2)
    2. Air (Z. 628/3)
    3. Overture (Z. 628/4)
  2. Act I, scene 2
    1. Woden first to thee
        a) Prelude and Aria: Woden first to thee (Z, 628/5)
        b) Aria: The white horse (Z. 628/6)
    2. Prelude, Aria and Chorus: Brave Souls (Z. 628/7-8)
    3. *Aria: I call ye all to Woden's hall (Z. 628/9)
  3. Act I, scene 2: Come if you dare
      a) Symphony, Aria and Chorus: Come if you dare (Z. 628/10)
      b) First Act tune (Z. 628/11)
  4. Act IIa
    1. Prelude and Aria (Philidel): Hither this way bend (Z. 628/12)
    2. Aria (Grimbald), Ritornello: Let not a moon-born Elf (Z. 628/13)
    3. Aria (Philidel) and Chorus: Hither this way (Z. 628/12)
    4. Dialogue and Chorus: Come follow me (Z. 628/14)
  5. Act IIb
    1. Dance, Aria and Chorus: How blest are Shepherds (Z. 628/15)
    2. Symphony and Duet (dialogue – 2 Shepherdesses): Shepherd, leave decoying (Z. 628/16)
    3. Hornpipe
        a) Chorus and Hornpipe: Come, Shepherds (Z. 628/17)
        b) Second Act Tune (Z. 628/18)
    6. Act III, scene 2a
  6. Prelude and Aria (Cupid): What ho (The Frost Scene) (Z. 628/19)
  7. Act III, scene 2b
    1. Prelude and Aria (Cold Genius): What power art thou (Prelude while the cold Genius rises) (Z. 628/20)
    2. Thou doting fool forbear
      1. Aria (Cupid): Thou doting fool forbear (Z. 628/21)
      2. Aria (Cold Genius): Great love (Z. 628/22)
      3. Aria (Cupid): No part (Z. 628/23)
    3. Prelude, Chorus and Dance: See, see (Z. 628/24)
  8. Act III, scene 2c
    1. Aria (Cupid), Ritornello and Choris: Tis I, that have warm'd ye (Z. 628/26)
    2. Sound a Parley
      1. Prelude and Duet (Cupid, Cold Genius): Sound a Parley (Z. 628/26)
      2. Aria (Cupid), Ritornello and Choris: Tis I, that have warm'd ye (Z. 628/27)
    3. Air: Third Act Tune (Z. 628/28)

    9. CD-2

    Act IV, scene 2a
  9. Duet (Two Sirens): Two Daughters (Z. 628/29)
  10. Act IV, scene 2b
    1. How happy the Lover
        a) Passaglia (Z. 628/30a)
        b) Aria, Ritornello and Chorus: How happy the Lover (Z. 628/30b-d)
        c) Dialogue and Chorus: No, no joy (Z. 628/30e-i)
    2. 4th Act tune (Z. 628/31)
  11. Act V, scene 2a
    1. Prelude: Trumpet Tune (Z. 628/32a)
    2. Aria (Aeolus): Ye Blust'ring Brethren (Z. 628/32b-c)
  12. Act V, scene 2b
    1. Symphony (Z. 628/33)
    2. Duet (Nereid, Pan) and Chorus: Round thy Coasts (Z. 628/34)
    3. Duet: For Folded Flocks (Z. 628/36)
    13. Act V, scene 2c
  13. Aria (Comus): Your hay is mown (Z. 628/37)
    14. Act V, scene 2d
  14. Aria (Venus): Fairest Isle (Z. 628/38)
  15. Act V, scene 2e
    1. Aria (She): You say tis love (Z. 628/35a)
    2. Aria (He) and Chorus: This not my passion (Z. 628/35b-c)
    3. Aria (He) and Chorus: But one soft moment (Z. 628/35d-e)
  16. Act V, scene 2f
    1. Trumpet Tune
    2. Chorus (with Honour): St. George (Z. 628/39)
    17. Act V, scene 2g
  17. Fifth Act Tune: Chaconne (Z. 628/40)

Henry Purcell (m) / Thomas Shadwell (t) – Cupid and Bacchus
Masque for Shakespeare's «The History of Timon of Athens, The Man-Hater » (Z. 632, 1694)

  1. 1. Overture (Z. 632/1)
    2. Air (Z. 632/1)
    3. Overture (Z. 632/1)
  2. 1. Duet (Cupid, Nymph): Hark! how the songsters of the grove (Z. 632/2)
    2. Aria (Nymph): Love in their little veins inspires (Z. 632/3)
    3. Trio (Cupid, Bacchus, Nymph): But ah! how much are your delights (Z. 632/4)
    4. Aria (Bacchus): Hence! hence! hence with your trifling deity (Z. 632/5)
    Chorus: But over us no grief's prevail (Z. 632/6)
  3. 1. Aria (Cupid): Come all to me (Z. 632/7)
    2. Chorus: Who can resist such mighty, mighty charms ? (Z. 632/8)
    3. Aria (Bacchus): Return, revolting rebels (Z. 632/9)
  4. 1. Aria (Nymph): The cares of lovers (Z. 632/10)
    2. Aria (A Bacchanal): Love quickly is pall'd (Z. 632/11)
    3. Duet and Chorus (Cupid, Bacchus; Chorus repeats): Come, let us agree (Z. 632/12)

Playing time: 57' 54" + 60' 23" = 1h 58' 17"

Performers:
[1]-[17] Deller Consort & Choir [Honor Sheppard (soprano - Venus, She, Honour), Jean Knibbs (soprano - Philidel, Nereid), Rosemary Hardy (soprano - Cupid), Alfred Deller (counter-tenor), Mark Deller (counter-tenor), Paul Elliott (tenor), Neil Jenkins (tenor), Leigh Nixon (tenor - Comus), Maurice Bevan (baritone - Cold Genius, Pan, He), Nigel Beavan (bass - Grimbald)]
The King's Musick [Claire Shanks (baroque oboe), Valérie Darke (baroque oboe), Martin Stancliffe (tenor oboe, David Pugsley (recorder), Nicholas McGegan (recorder), Michael Laird (trumpet), Bill Houghton (trumpet), Jane Ryan (viola da gamba), Jeremy Ward (baroque bassoon), Ian Gammie (violone), Robert Elliott (harpsichord)] - Roderick Skeaping, cond.
Alfred Deller, dir.
[18]-[21] Deller Consort & Choir [Honor Sheppard (soprano - Cupid's disciple), Jean Knibbs (soprano - Cupid), Paul Elliott (tenor - Bacchus' disciple), Maurice Bevan (baritone - Bacchus)] - Alfred Deller, dir.

Recording site and date:
[1]-[17] [10 / 1978], rel. 1979
[18]-[21] [1976], rel. 1976

Excerpts (from original rec.):
[1]-[17] Harmonia mundi HM 252.53 [LP] Purcell: King Arthur
[18]-[21] Harmonia mundi HM 243 [LP] Henry Purcell – The Indian Queen & "The Masque" (from Timon of Athens)

Reviewed in:
Diapason (#-p.): 333-159 (December 1987)

Comments:
Information from CDs box.

To purchasing information for this disc.

To FAQ references to this recording.

To FAQ CD index page.

Pierre-F. Roberge