HENRY PURCELL
CD 1
The Fairy Queen (Ed. Benjamin Britten, Imogen Holst & Peter Pears)
Part I: Oberon’s Birthday
Part II: Night and Silence
Part III: The Sweet Passion
CD 2
Part IV: Epithalamium
Jennifer Vyvyan, Mary Wells & Norma Burrowes, sopranos
Alfreda Hodgson, mezzo-soprano
James Bowman & Charles Brett, countertenors
Peter Pears & Ian Partridge, tenors
John Shirley-Quirk & Owen Brannigan, basses
Ambrosian Opera Chorus
English Chamber Orchestra
Benjamin Britten
SONGS & INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
The Tempest (excerpts)*
Sonata for Trumpet and Strings (ed. Dart, Tilmouth)*
The Virtuous Wife*
What shall I do? (Dioclesian)*
Ciacona in G minor (ed. Dart)*
Jennifer Vyvyan, soprano
William Herbert, tenor
Hervey Alan, bass
Dennis Egan, trumpet
Philomusica of London
Anthony Lewis
*FIRST CD RELEASE ON DECCA
Recording Producers: David Harvey (The Fairy Queen); unidentified (The Tempest, Sonata, The Virtuous Wife, Dioclesian, Ciacona)
Recording Engineers: Kenneth Wilkinson, Peter van Biene (The Fairy Queen); unidentified (The Tempest, Sonata, The Virtuous Wife, Dioclesian, Ciacona)
Recording Locations: Snape Maltings, Aldeburgh, UK, 18–21 September 1970 (The Fairy Queen); London, UK, 1958 (The Tempest, Sonata, The Virtuous Wife, Dioclesian, Ciacona)
Remastering Engineer: Craig Thompson
‘A most enjoyable disc, showing two aspects of Purcell at his best… presented with considerable skill by the singers and with vitality by the conductor and his men.’ High Fidelity, March 1960 (The Tempest, etc)
‘The cast and orchestra under Britten’s inspired and inspiring direction certainly give of their best. Jennifer Vyvyan and Peter Pears took part in the L’Oiseau Lyre recording of the 1950s under Anthony Lewis, and now as then are perfect Purcell stylists.’ Opera, April 1972 (The Fairy Queen)
‘Britten has a clear concept of this music and manages to convey it to all concerned, with a resultant remarkable stylistic unity… this beguiling music comes through gloriously-there is not one dull moment in it.’ High Fidelity, July 1973 (The Fairy Queen)