Purcell - The Fairy Queen (William Christie, Lucy Crowe, Carolyn Sampson) [2010] RE-UPLOAD

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Purcell - The Fairy Queen (William Christie, Lucy Crowe, Carolyn Sampson) [2010] RE-UPLOAD

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This performance puts into a contemporary context the goals of the 17th century masque and remakes an old art form into a spectacular new art form. The sound is sharp and clear, and the singing is virtuoso. Yet other performances of Purcell's exquisite music (such as by Les Arts Florissants on CD) are also excellent. What is amazing is the staging and the integration of the spoken text and dance with the music. At times bawdy, at times tender, the performance is always vivid and always captures attention. While I can't agree with every detail in the director's choices (such as the use of dress shoes for Bottom's ears as an ass), repeatedly the choices startle yet work.

The masque was an English semi-opera form designed to compete with and contrast with the Italian and French opera of the day. It contains extended sections of spoken text and action alternating with extended series of musical numbers that may be only peripheral to the story. The goal was in part to impress the viewer with the luxury of stage effects and costumes. The liner notes mention that the original production in 1692 nearly bankrupted the Dorset Gardens Theatre in London. This production under review is spectacular in the same sense, with rich costumes, especially for some of the allegorical figures. It has startling effects such as the use of cables to suspend singers, dancers, and actors in the air. The spoken portions let the ear readjust to speech and make the next musical interlude contrast even more vividly. The bawdy musical numbers, while clearly contemporary, serve the same purposes as the bawdy comic sections of Shakespeare's plays, a goal of contrast and variety.

The music by itself is supremely beautiful. This performance puts the music into its context as designed in 1692, not as a tired museum piece but rather as something contemporary and exciting.
By Stephen J. Willson

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Purcell - The Fairy Queen (William Christie, Lucy Crowe, Carolyn Sampson) [2010] RE-UPLOAD

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