Search - Parley of Instruments, Goodman, Holman :: Purcell's London (English Orpheus, Vol 23) /Parley of Instruments * Goodman * Holman

Little Purcell, but Lots of Great Music

N. Chevalier | Regina, Sask. Canada | 10/31/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I first bought this disc on cassette, and promptly wore it out before getting the CD version. As a showcase of little-known English and Italian composers working in late 17th-century London, it's a real gem--bright trumpet playing, bold strings, and mostly bouncy melodies, some of which betray their origins as theatre pieces. The only Purcell on it, if you're looking, is a short (1 minute) Cibell that closes the disc. But forget Purcell for the moment and enjoy Nicola Matteis, Godfrey Keller, and all of the other obscure names who were certainly Purcell's contemporaries, and whose appearance here flesh out our understanding of what a truly great musical nation England was during the 17th century. My only complaint is that, since this is one of Hyperion's older releases, it is timed to fit on two vinyl sides--I would have been glad of another 20 minutes of this!"