Customer Reviews

Purcell - The Fairy Queen / Hunt, Pierard, Bickley, Crook, Padmore, Wilson-Johnson, Wistreich, Schütz Choir, LCP, Norrington

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
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This 'semi-opera' is one of the last works of Henry Purcell, the greatest English Baroque composer. Essentially a series of scenes with linking music, The Fairy Queen, like other semi-operas, lacks the integrity of plot and action of real opera. In performance, I suspect this work would be somewhat static, sort of a serious music variety show. The music, however, is lovely. The Fairy Queen contains some of Purcell's best vocal and instrumental work with some components that became part of the concert repertoire. Hearing all the music together is a fine experience, though the semi-opera format tends to work against the dramatic and musical cohesion which can be found in even merely good operas. The vocalists are splendid, particularly Lorraine (as she was then spelling her name) Hunt. The orchestral playing is just as good.

I originally heard Purcell's main theme from "The Fairy Queen" in James Newton Howard's score to the 1995 film "Restoration" starring Robert Downey, Jr. This 2CD set is a great presentation of Purcell's entire work. It was fun to discover the original context of this theme I have come to know so well. I also recommend Purcell's "King Arthur" (also featured in "Restoration").

Absolutely beautifull baroque opera! The arrangament, singing and instrumentation is superb. If you liked Monteverdi's Coronation of Poppea, it is a must to have this baroque masterpiece! It is too bad that Henry Purcell is not as widely known as Bach, because he should be recognized equally well.

I have recently discovered Purcell's music. While singing in choir as a young college student, I sang, "Sound the Trumpet" which I loved and am anxiously awaiting a recording of that piece I ordered off Amazon. During my search, I came upon this recording written on a completely different theme and took interest, since it was loosely based on Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Nights Dream."

The other reviewers have described the format of this semi-opera well and I agree that the music and singers perform fabulously. The only other thing I have to add is that I find music can sometimes be used as a vehicle to relax the mind and even problem solve and I find these works to be that kind of music that isn't too demanding of the listener. You can think, get homework or housework done, or best of all, sit and listen. I call it "multi-purpose" and this music fits that category for me.