Search - Henry Purcell, Angus Davidson, Scholars Baroque Ensemble :: Purcell: The Fairy Queen

A highly recommended Naxos Bargain.

John Austin | Kangaroo Ground, Australia | 05/19/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"For a very modest outlay, you will be able to enjoy some great music if you drop this 2 CD set into your trolley. It is great music that is too expensive to mount in live productions, too. Originally intended to augment a production of Shakespeare's "A Mid-Summer Night's Dream", it resulted in a lavish six hour entertainment that cost £3,000 to produce in 1692. Purcell provided five masques, involving soloists, chorus and orchestra, but set none of Shakespeare's text. Well, here is Purcell's contribution complete, in a lively "period instrument" version by the Scholars Baroque Ensemble. The ensemble's founder, David van Asch, has prepared and edited the version used here. Do not neglect the instrumental items provided in an appendix at the end of the 2nd CD. They originally were interpolated into the play rather than forming part of the accompanying masques, and some of them are gems. The vocalists, especially David van Asch himself whose "drunken poet" scene is delivered with great relish, blend and lead admirably, although ensemble is sometimes a little ragged. I think it was Constant Lambert who said he would willingly sacrifice all Bach's Brandenburg Concerti for Purcell's "The Fairy Queen". See what you think."

A Prestigious Classic

Thomas WONG | 03/12/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Performing a prestigious and excellent classic well is not at all an easy task. However, The Scholars Baroque Ensemble finished this work well. This is the most respected interpretation of The Fairy Queen available. Congratulations to the Ensemble."