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See Terms & Conditions for p&p rates. | |  | AbdelazerSuites by Henry Purcell
The melody of the “Rondeau“ from Abdelazer is one of the best-known tunes today and everyone can sing it. If we try to find out who is the composer we come across the name of Benjamin Britten whose symphonic variations from A young person’s guide to the orchestra are world-famous. It is, however, not Britten’s composition but Henry Purcell’s. During the last five years of his short life Henry Purcell wrote more than 43 so-called ‘stage musics’ for theatre. In his final year in 1695, he composed the music for the tragedy Abdelazer by Aphra Behn. The tragedy Abdelazer tells the story about a slave who becomes king after many intrigues and murders. Unfortunately, only the first part of Purcell’s flamboyant suite has survived. | | | (also available to download from $10.50) | Usually despatched in 4 - 5 working days. (Available now to download.) |
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| |  | Purcell - Complete Ayres for the Theatre
Purcell: | Prophetess or The History of Dioclesian, Z627 King Arthur, Z628 The Fairy Queen, Z629 The Indian Queen, Z630 The Married Beau or The Curious Impertinent - incidental music, Z603 The Old Batchelor - incidental music, Z607 Amphitryon or The Two Sosias: incidental music, Z572 The Double Dealer - incidental music, Z592 Distressed Innocence or The Princess of Persia: incidental music, Z577 The Gordion Knot Untied - incidental music, Z597 Abdelazer or The Moor's Revenge: incidental music, Z570 Bonduca or The British Heroine - incidental music, Z574 The Virtuous Wife or Good Luck At Last - incidental music, Z611 Sonata while the sun rises in 'The Fairy Queen', Z629/27 Overture in G minor, Z626/1 Sir Anthony Love or, The Rambling Lady, Z588/1: Overture Music in Timon of Athens, the Man-Hater, Z632/1 Symphony in The Indian Queen, Z630/16 |
“All these works were published within 18 months of Purcell's death. The 13 suites of choice movements from plays and semi-operas, entitled A Collection of Ayres, compos'd for theTheatre, and upon other occasions, may well have been the editing work of Purcell's brother, Daniel.
Whoever it was had a rare combination of musical integrity and commercial flair: the pieces lifted from Purcell's interpolations to plays are often reordered and arranged with a deftness and charm which conveys the spirit of the theatre as well as heightening the loss and poignancy of Purcell's passing. How moving the Rondeau Minuet from The Gordian KnotUnty'd must have seemed to those who knew and loved Purcell.
As a major retrospective of Purcell's life in the theatre, the Ayres for the Theatre mainly comprise instrumental dances from their original sources, though there are several movements readapted from sung airs, such as 'Fairest isle' from King Arthur and 'If love's a sweet passion' from The Fairy Queen. The tunes are wonderful and varied, the inner part-writing skilful and the rhythmic imagination knows no bounds.
Even so, this isn't music where more than a suite at a time can be recommended for ultimate satisfaction: stop while you still want more. And more you'll most certainly want with Roy Goodman's alert and distinctive direction. If a few of the movements sound a touch mundane and lack dynamism as one follows on from another, the positive side is that the performances are never forced and rarely mannered. For the semi-opera 'suites', Goodman employs a full orchestra. What The Parley of Instruments has in abundance is a cordiality of expression which seems so absolutely right, especially in the slower airs.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010 “Ayres for the Theatre is a wonderful collection of rich and varied, tuneful music and has been marvellously well recorded” Gramophone Magazine “The performances by Goodman and the authentic Parley of Instruments are thoroughly alive, stylish and responsive to the composer's ready invention. The recording is in every way pleasing, clear, yet full-bodied.” Penguin Guide, 2011 edition | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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| |  | Purcell: Theatre Music
Purcell: | Abdelazer or The Moor's Revenge: incidental music, Z570 Distressed Innocence or The Princess of Persia: incidental music, Z577 The Married Beau or The Curious Impertinent - incidental music, Z603 The Gordion Knot Untied - incidental music, Z597 Sir Anthony Love or the Rambling Lady - incidental music, Z588 Bonduca or The British Heroine - incidental music, Z574 Circe: incidental music, Z575 The Virtuous Wife or Good Luck At Last - incidental music, Z611 The Old Batchelor - incidental music, Z607 Overture in G minor, Z770 Don Quixote: incidental music, Z578 Amphitryon or The Two Sosias: incidental music, Z572 The Double Dealer - incidental music, Z592 The Richmond Heiress or A Woman Once in the Right, Z608 The Rival Sisters or The Violence of Love - incidental music, Z609 Henry the Second, King of England: incidental music, Z580 Tyrannic Love or The Royal Martyr - incidental music, Z613 Overture in G minor Z772 Theodosius, or The Force of Love - incidental music, Z606 The Libertine or The Libertine Destroyed - incidental music, Z600 Thy genius lo! (from The Massacre of Paris, Z604) Oedipus: incidental music, Z583 The History of King Richard the Second or The Sicilian Usurper: Retir'd from any mortal's sight, Z581 Sir Barnaby Whigg or No Wit Like a Woman's: Blow, Blow, Boreas blow, Z589 Beneath a poplar's shadow (from Sophonisba or Hannibal's Overthrow, Z590) My wife has a tongue (from The English Lawyer, Z594) A Fool's Preferment, or The Three Dukes of Dunstable: incidental music, Z571 The Indian Emperor or The Conquest of Mexico: I look'd and saw within, Z598 The Knight of Malta: At the close of the ev'ning, Z599 A Dialogue between Thirsis and Daphne: Why, my Daphne, why complaining, Z525 The Wife's Excuse, or Cuckolds make themselves - incidental music, Z612 No, no, poor suff'ring heart (from Cleomenes, the Spartan Hero, Z576) Ah me! to many deaths (from Regulus or The Faction of Carthage, Z586) The Marriage-Hater Match'd: incidental music, Z602 How happy's the husband (from Love Triumphant or Nature Will Prevail, Z582) There's not a swain (from Rule a Wife and Have a Wife, Z587) The Female Virtuosos: Love, thou art best, Z596 Epsom Wells: Leave these useless arts, Z579 The Maid's Last Prayer, or Any Rather than Fail - incidental music, Z601 I see she flies me ev'rywhere (from Aureng-Zebe or The Great Mogul, Z573) The Canterbury Guests or A Bargain Broken: Good neighbour why?, Z591 The Fatal Marriage or The Innocent Adultery - incidental music, Z595 The Spanish Friar or The Double Discovery: Whilst I with grief, Z610 Pausanius, the Betrayer of his Country: incidental music, Z585 Oh! how you protest...'Twas within a furlong, (from The Mock Marriage, Z605) Oroonoko: Celemene, pray tell me, Z584 Pavan in A major Z748 Pavan in A minor Z749 Pavan in B flat major, Z750 Pavan in G minor Z751 Pavan for Three Violins and Bass in G minor - Z752 Trio Sonata, for violin, bass viol and organ, Z780 Chacony in G minor - for Two Violins, Viola and Bass Z730 |
Emma Kirkby, Judith Nelson, Elizabeth Lane, Joy Roberts, Prudence Lloyd (sopranos), James Bowman (countertenor), Martyn Hill, Rogers Covey-Crump, Paul Elliott, Alan Byers, Peter Bamber, Julian Pike (tenors), David Thomas, Christopher Keyte, Geoffrey Shaw, Michael George (basses) Academy of Ancient Music, The Taverner Choir, Christopher Hogwood | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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