Deller Consort – Purcell: The Fairy Queen (Remastered) (2019) [FLAC 24bit/96kHz]

A masterpiece of the ‘semi-opera’. In 1692, on the strength of the immense success of Dido & Aeneas and King Arthur, Purcell went on to produce The Fairy Queen, based on Shakespeare’s A Midsummer-Night’s Dream.

The work is, in fact a ‘semi-opéra’, or ‘opera with dialogue’, in which only some of the crucial scenes are provided with music. But this version of A Midsummer-Night’s Dream by the ‘Orpheus Britannicus’ became almost as famous as the play that inspired it, with its love scenes, its supernatural scenes and its innate sense of musical humour investing it with an irresistible savour and enchantment.

Tracklist:
01. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, The First Musick: I. Prelude (1:58)
02. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, The First Musick: II. Hornpipe (0:58)
03. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, The Second Musick: I. Air (0:59)
04. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, The Second Musick: II. Rondeau (1:21)
05. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, The Second Musick: III. Overture (0:36)
06. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act I: “Come let us leave” (Two Fairies) (3:13)
07. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act I: Scene of the drunken poet (5:47)
08. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act I: First Act tune (1:13)
09. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act II: Prelude. “Come all ye songsters” (A Fairy) (1:57)
10. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act II: Prelude. (0:42)
11. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act II: “May the God of wit” (Three Fairies) (0:59)
12. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act II: Echo. Now join your warbling voices (1:33)
13. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act II: “Sing while we trip” (A Fairy). Fairy Dance (2:13)
14. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act II: “See, even night” (Night) (5:14)
15. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act II: “I am come to lock” (Mistery) (0:46)
16. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act II: “One charming night” (Secret) (2:05)
17. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act II: “Hush, no more” (Sleep) (5:02)
18. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act II: Dance for the followers of Night (2:24)
19. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act II: Second Act tune (1:22)
20. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act III: “If love’s a sweet passion” (A Nymph) (2:18)
21. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act III: Symphony while the swans come forward (3:24)
22. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act III: Dance for the Fairies (0:52)
23. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act III: Dance for the Green Men (1:51)
24. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act III: “Ye gentle spirits of the air” (A Nymph) (4:54)
25. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act III: Dialogue between Corydon and Mopsa (3:51)
26. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act III: “When I have often heard” (A Nymph) (2:48)
27. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act III: Dance for the Haymakers (0:52)
28. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act III: “A thousand, thousand ways” (Corydon, Mopsa) (2:33)
29. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act III: Third Act tune (1:01)
30. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act IV: Symphony (6:14)
31. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act IV: “Now the night” (Attendants) (2:16)
32. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act IV: “Let the fifes and the clarions” (Attendants) (1:25)
33. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act IV: Entry of Phoebus (0:45)
34. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act IV: “When a cruel long winter” (Phoebus) (3:11)
35. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act IV: “Hail! Great parent” (Fairies) (2:08)
36. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act IV: “Thus the ever grateful Spring” (Spring) (2:10)
37. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act IV: “Here’s the summer” (Summer) (1:11)
38. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act IV: “See, see my many colour’d fields” (Automn) (2:55)
39. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act IV: “Now winter comes slowly” (Winter) (2:49)
40. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act IV: “Hail! Great parent!” (Fairies) (1:09)
41. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act IV: Fourth Act tune (1:06)
42. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act V: Prelude (0:36)
43. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act V: “Thrice happy lovers” (Juno) (2:32)
44. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act V: The Plaint (7:24)
45. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act V: Entry Dance (1:15)
46. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act V: Symphony (1:05)
47. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act V: “Thus the gloomy world” (The Chinese Man) (4:48)
48. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act V: “Thus happy and free” (A Chinese Woman) (0:56)
49. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act V: “Yes Xansi” (The Chinese Man) (2:10)
50. The Fairy Queen: Monkey’s Dance (0:53)
51. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act V: “Hark how all things” (A Chinese Woman) (2:01)
52. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act V: “Hark! The choing air” (A Chinese Woman) (2:44)
53. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act V: “Sure the dull God” (A Chinese Woman) (3:04)
54. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act V: Prelude. “See, I obey” (Hymen) (1:53)
55. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act V: “Turn then thine eyes” (Chinese Woman) (1:32)
56. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act V: “My torch indeed” (Hymen) (0:39)
57. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act V: “They shall be as happy” (0:49)
58. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act V: Chaconne (3:04)
59. The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act V: “They shall be as happy” (1:02)