Alfred Deller - Portrait of a Legend

Alfred Deller - Portrait of a Legend
Alfred Deller et al.
Harmonia mundi HMX 290 261 / 264 [CDx4]

Content:

    CD-1

    Henry Purcell (m) / ?Thomas Betterton (t) after a Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare
    The Fairy Queen (Z. 629, 1693 version)

    Act II

  1. Prelude (an Elf): Come all ye songsters of the sky (Z. 629/7)
  2. Prelude (Birds fly down, singing) (Z. 629/8a)
  3. Trio (Three Elves): May the God of Wit inspire (Z. 629/8b)
    Trio (Three Elves): While Echo shall remote (Z. 629/8c)
  4. Act III

  5. Aria (dialogue – Corydon, Mopsa): Now the maids and the men (Z. 629/22)
  6. Act IV

  7. Symphony (Sonata while the sun risees): (Z. 629/27)
  8. Act V

  9. Aria (a Chinese man): Thus the gloomy world at first began to shine (Z. 629/43)
  10. Prelude, Aria (a Chinese woman) and Chorus: Thus happy and free (Z. 629/44)
  11. Ground and Aria (Chinese man): Yes, Xansi, in your look I find (Z. 629/45)
  12. Monkies' Dance (Z. 629/46)
  13. Henry Purcell (m) / John Dryden (t)
    King Arthur or the British Worthy (Z 628, 1691)

    Act I, scene 2

  14. Aria: I call ye all to Woden's hall (Z. 628/9)
  15. Act V, scene 2

  16. Aria (Venus): Fairest Isle (Z. 628/38)
  17. Henry Purcell (m) / Johnt Dryden & Robert Howard (t)
    The Indian Queen (Z. 630, 1695)

    Prologue / Act I

  18. Aria (Indian Boy): Wake, Quivera, wake (Z. 630/4b)
  19. Act III

  20. Trumpet Overture: Canzon/Adagio (Z. 630/16)
  21. Duet and Quartet (Aerial spirits): Ah! Ah! How happy we are! (Z. 630/17a)
    Duet and Quartet (Aerial spirits): We the spirits of the air (Z. 630/17a)
  22. Aria (Aerial spirits): I attempt from Love's sickness (soprano solo) (Z. 630/17a)
  23. Theatre Music

    Henry Purcell, autographic ms, Guildhall Library, London (1694)
  24. Olinda (Z. 404)

  25. Henry Purcell (m) / William Congreve (t), « The Old Bachelor » (Z.607, 1693)
  26. Thus to a ripe, consenting maid (Z. 607/10)

  27. Henry Purcell (m) / ?William Mountfort (melody) after Dioclesian by J Fletcher & P Massinger (1690)
  28. O how happy's he (Z. 403)
  29. CD-2

    Gregorian
  30. Last Lesson from Office of Easter Saturday: Incipit lamentatio Jeremiae prophetae

  31. Thomas Tallis
  32. Hymn: Te lucis ante terminum (Cantiones sacrae)

  33. François Couperin: Leçons de Ténèbres (Deuxième leçon)
  34. Vau. Et egressus est
    Zain. Recordata est Jerusalem
    Heth. Peccatum peccavit
    Teth. Sordes ejus
    Jerusalem

  35. Dietrich Buxtehude:
  36. Cantata (solo voice, viola da gamba and continuo): Jubilate Domino

  37. Henry Purcell:
  38. In guilty night (Saul and the Witch of Endor) (Z 134, 1693)

  39. Orlando Gibbons
  40. Verse anthem: Great King of Gods

  41. Giovanni Perluigi Palestrina:
  42. Ave verum

  43. Alessandro Grandi:
  44. Cantabo Domine
  45. CD-3

    Anon.: Twelfth night, V, 1
  46. The Wind and the Rain (When that I was)

  47. Thomas Morley: As you like it, V, 3
  48. It was a lover and his lass

  49. Thomas Morley: Twelfth night or what you will, II,3
  50. O mistress mine

  51. Anon.: Othello, IV, 3
  52. Willow song

  53. Anon.: Henry V, mentioned at IV, 4
  54. Caleno custure me

  55. Anon., 17th c.:
  56. Miserere my Maker

  57. Thomas Campion:
  58. I care not for these ladies

  59. John Bartlett:
  60. Of all the birds

  61. Philip Rosseter:
  62. What then is love

  63. John Blow:
  64. The Self-banished

  65. Jeremiah Clarke:
  66. The glory of the Arcadian groves

  67. John Dowland:
  68. Fine knacks for ladies
  69. Flow my tears

  70. Henry Purcell
  71. If music be the food of love (Z 379a)

  72. Henry Purcell: The Comical History of Don Quixote (Z 578)
  73. (Act V) From rosy bow'rs

  74. Henry Purcell:
  75. O Solitude (Z 406, 1685)

  76. Alessandro Scarlatti/Giulio Caccini:
  77. Pien d'amoroso affetto

  78. Alessandro Scarlatti/Saracini:
  79. Pallidetto qual viola

  80. Giulio Caccini:
  81. Amarilli mia bella

  82. Alessandro Scarlatti:
  83. Infirmata vulnerata
  84. CD-4

    Anon.:
  85. The three Ravens
  86. Black is the colour of my true love's hair

  87. Thomas Morley:
  88. Sweet nymph, come to thy lover
  89. I go before my darling

  90. Anon.:
  91. The Oak and the Ash
  92. Barbara Allen
  93. Lord Rendall
  94. Water is wide
  95. The Tailor and the Mouse
  96. Down by the sally Garden's
  97. I will give my love an Apple

  98. Thomas Morley:
  99. Miraculous love's wounding

  100. Robert Jones:
  101. Sweet Kate

  102. Anon.:
  103. Bushes and Briars
  104. The foggy, foggy Dew
  105. She moved through the fair
  106. The Evening Prayer

Performers, recording site and date:
See related links below
rel.: 2004.

Playing time: 41' 40" + 56" 35" + 75' 56" + 39' 36" = 3h 33' 47"

Excerpts from original recordings:
[1]-[9] Harmonia Mundi HMD 231 (HM 231, HM 232, HM 233) [LPx3] Henry Purcell: The Fairy-Queen - An Opera reprented at the Queen's-Theatre By Their Majesties Servants
[10] Harmonia mundi HM 252.53 [LPx2] Henry Purcell: King Arthur
[11], [15], [40]-[41] Harmonia mundi HM 249 [LP] Henry Purcell - Music for a while
[12]-[14] Harmonia mundi HM 243 [LPx2] Henry Purcell: The Indian Queen & "The Masque" (from Timon of Athens)
[16], [18] Harmonia mundi "Deller Recordings" DR 218 [LP] Ayres de Henry Purcell - Musique de scène, Airs et Opéra, Odes et Musique sacrés
[17] Harmonia mundi "Deller Recordings" DR 214 [LP] Ayres de Henry Purcell - Musique de théâtre
[19] Harmonia mundi HMD 234 [LP] Chant grégorien - Répons et monodies gallicanes
[20] Harmonia mundi "Deller Recordings" DR 208 [LP] Thomas Tallis - Les Lamentations de Jéremie le prophète
[21] Harmonia mundi "Deller Recordings" DR 210 [LP] François Couperin - Leçons de Ténèbres
[22] Harmonia mundi HM 929 [LP] Dietrich Buxtehude - Jubilate Domino: Cantatas & organ works - Kantaten & orgelwerke - Cantates & oeuvres d'orgue
[23] Harmonia mundi "Deller Recordings" DR 207 [LP] Henry Purcell - Te Deum & Jubilate Deo
[24] Harmonia mundi "Deller Recordings" DR 219 [LP] Orlando Gibbons: Vocal and instrumental music
[25]-[26] Harmonia mundi "Deller Recordings" DR 221 [LP] Claudio Monteverdi - Messe à quatre voix avec trombones & La naissance du Baroque - Grandi, Frescobaldi, Palestrina, Bassano
[27]-[31] Harmonia mundi "Deller Recordings" DR 202 [LP] Shakespeare Songs and Consort Music
[32]-[37] Harmonia mundi "Deller Recordings" DR 215 [LP] Alfred Deller Solo - Airs anglais du XVIIe & XVIIIe siècle
[38]-[39], [43]-[46] Harmonia mundi HMU 228 [LP] Alfred Deller Solo (vol. 2)
[42] Harmonia mundi HM 247 [LP] Henry Purcell: O Solitude - Chants et Anthèmes
[47]-[63] Harmonia mundi "Deller Recordings" HMD 226 [LP] Folksongs

Reviewed in:

Comments:
Information from CDs box.

To purchasing information for this disc.

To FAQ references to this recording.

To FAQ CD index page.

Pierre-F. Roberge