Henry Purcell - King Arthur

Purcell: King Arthur or The British Worthy

Deller Consort and Choir - Alfred Deller, dir. & The King's Musick - Roderick Skeaping, dir.
Harmonia Mundi HM 252 / 253 [LPx2]
Harmonia Mundi HM 40 252 / 253 [Cass. x2]
Musical Heritage Society MHS 4188 / 4199 [LPx2]

Contents:

Henry Purcell (m) / John Dryden (t): King Arthur or the British Worthy (Z 628, 1691)

LP-1

1. Overture
   1. Overture
   2. Air
   3. Overture

Act I, scene 2

2. 1. Woden first to thee ... (bass, chorus, tenor, duet, soprano)
   2. Brave Souls (chorus)
   3. I call ye all ... (counter-tenor, chorus)
3. Come if you dare ... (tenor, chorus)
   First Act tune

Act II

4. 1. Hither this way bend ... (Philidel, chorus of Phil. Spirits, chorus of Grim Spirits
   2. Let not a Moon-born Elf (Grimbald)
   3. Hither this way ... (Philidel, chorus of Phil. Spirits, chorus of Grim. Spirits)
   ----
   4. Come follow me ... (Philidel, chorus, 2 & 3 voices)
5. 1. How blest are Shepherds ... (1 Shepherd, chorus)
   2. Shepherd, leave Decoying (2 Shepherdesses)
   3. Hornpipe
   4. Come, Shepherds (chorus of All)
   5. Hornpipe

Act III, scene 2

6. Prelude
   What ho (Cupid)
7. 1. What Power Art Thou (Genius)
   2. Thou Doting Fool forbear ... (Cupid, Genius)
   3.Prelude
   Chorus: See, see

LP-2

8. 1. Tis I, that have warm'd ye ... (Cupid, chorus)
   Sound a Parley ... (Cupid & Genius, chorus)
2. Air

Act IV, scene 2

9. Two Daughters (2 Syrens)
10. 1. How happy the Lover ... (alto, chorus, soprano & brass, 3 Nymphs, 3 men, 3 women)
    2. Fourth Act tune

Act V, scene 2

11. 1. Trumpet tune
    2. Ye blust'ring Brethren (Aeolus)
12. 1. Symphony
    ----
    2. Song tune
    Round thy Coasts ... (Nereid & Pan, chorus
    3. For Folded Flocks (alto, tenor & bass)
13. Song Tune
    Your Hay ... (Comus, chorus, 1, 2 & 3 men)
14. Fairest Isle (Venus)
15. 1. You say (soprano (She))
    2. This not my passion ... (bass (He), soprano)
    3. But one soft moment ... (bass, soprano, soprano & bass)
16. 1. Trumpet Tune
    2. St. George ... (Honour, chorus)
17. Chaconne

Playing time: (26' 10" + 23' 00") + (23' 40" +24' 37") = 1h 37' 27"

Performers:
The 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), Leigh Nixon (tenor - Comus), Maurice Bevan (baritone - Cold Genius, Pan, He), Nigel Beavan (bass - Grimbald)
The King's Musick
Claire Shanks (baroque oboe), Valérie Dark (baroque oboe), Martin Stancliffe (tenor oboe), David Pugsley (trumpet), Nicholas McGegan (trumpet), Jane Ryan (continuo: viola di gamba), Jeremy Ward (continuo: baroque bassoon), Ian Gammie (comtinuo: violone), Robert Elliott (continuo: harpsichord)
Roderick Skeaping, dir.
Alfred Deller, dir.

Recording site and date:
Unknown [10/1978];
Rel.: 1979

Compilations:
Harmonia mundi HMC 90252.53 Purcell: King Arthur & "The Masque" (from Timon of Athens)

Excerpts:
[3], [14] Harmonia mundi HMX 290 605 / 607 [CDx3] Opéra Baroque
[2.3] Harmonia mundi HMX 290 261 / 264 [CDx4] Alfred Deller - Portrait of a Legend
[6]-[7] Harmonia mundi HMP 390 807 [CD] Great Baroque Masters: Purcell
[6] -[7] Harmonia mundi HMX 290 801 / 810 [CDx10] Prélude baroque / Bach, Charpentier, Couperin
[7.1], [7.3] Harmonia mundi HM 1020 [LP] Molière
[1.1]-[1.2], [2]-[3], [5]-[7], [11.2], [13]-[14], [16]-[17] Harmonia mundi HM 200 [LP] King Arthur (excerpts)
[1.1]-[1.2], [2]-[3], [5]-[7], [11.2], [13]-[14], [16]-[17] Harmonia Mundi HMX 290 8057 / 8059 [CDx3] Les plus belles oeuvres de Henry Purcell
[12.3] Harmonia mundi "Passerelles" HMB 590 017 / 18 [CDx2 + book] Les Contre-ténors - Mythes et Réalités (with a book by Peter Giles)

Reviewed in:
Diapason (#-p.): 237- (March 1979 (as HM 252.53))
Gramophone (Vol./#-p.):
Fanfare (Vol./#-p.):

Comments:
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