Album review: Henry Purcell
Theatre Music ****
Naxos 8.570149, 5.99
Henry Purcell was born just in time for the Restoration, and by the time he was a practising theatre composer, Shakespeare's open-air, male-only dramatics had long since been replaced by small, stuffy theatres featuring real women.
This recording focuses on music for three plays, written in the form of overtures, incidental music and songs. Purcel changes his style to suit each play, adopting various musical idioms, from French dance music to Scottish airs and the hornpipe. The song lyrics are an equal mix of sacred and profane: 'A Pastoral Dialogue' is really no more than a desperate shepherd trying to persuade a nymph into bed.
Brightly performed and clearly sung, this is a highly enjoyable first CD in a series exploring Purcell's music.
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