Purcell October 2015
Play List
CD
1
Details of CD
Purcell Choral
Works, Choir of
Christ Church
Cathedral, Oxford
& The English
Concert
(Archiv Produktion)
Tracks and Comments
2 CD Album CD1
From Complete Services
Service in B flat major; from the morning
service. This gives an idea of his music for
a complete service sang in English with
organ and chamber orchestra.
Track 1 Benedicite omnia opera
Te Deum and Jubilate in D
Track 2 Te Deum laudamus
Track 3 Jubilate Deo
Service in B flat major; from the evening
service
Track 7 Nunc dimittis
Track 8 Magnificat
From Full Anthems
Track 11 O Lord God of hosts
Track 14 O God thou art my God. (Play
complete track)
CD2
Track 7 Thou that go down to the sea in
ships. (Illustrates the baroque orchestra
well.)
2
3
Purcell Full
Anthems & Organ
Music on the Death
of Queen Mary
(Naxos)
Purcell Harpsichord
Sophie Yates
(Chandos early
Music)
Track 8 Praise the Lord O Jerusalem (Also
very good, possibly better than track 7)
Track 1
Latin Psalm
Jehova, quam multi sunt hostes mei
Tracks 1 – 4 Suite No 1
(There is a vast library of Purcell’s
harpsichord music. This is a small taster.)
Track 15 Suite No 3
(This shows Italian and possibly German
influence.)
JRM
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Purcell October 2015
3
Purcell Harpsichord
Cont. Sophie Yates
(Chandos early
Music)
4
Essential Purcell
The King’s Consort
(Hyperion)
5
Purcell Theatre
Music – 1
(Naxos)
6
Purcell: Dido &
Aeneas
(Decca)
Track 14 Round O
(This theme may be familiar!)
Odes
Track 1 Welcome, welcome glorious
Morn. (There are only two lines in this
ode. “Welcome, welcome glorious Morn.
Nature smiles at thy return.”)
Track 3 Oh Fair Cedaria
(A truly magnificent setting for the
powerful words. The author of the words
is unknown.) [Cedaria is also the name of
a small, flat trilobite!]
Track 10 Hosanna to the highest.
(Very good bass – shows Purcell’s mastery
of all, current, musical genres.)
Track 1 Overture to Amphitryon
(A play be John Dryden which involved
some obscure figures from Greek
Mythology)
Track 5 Scotch Tune
(Considering Purcell is believed to have
spent all his life around Westminster it
sounds remarkably Scottish!)
Track 7 Air
(This short air has good percussion)
Track 10 Hornpipe
Track 14 Aire
From the Gordian Knot (Another play
which figures Greek Mythology)
This started as a school production but is
often seen as the first English Opera. Dido
is the Queen of Carthage. Aeneas is a
Trojan Prince who is fleeing an uprising
and is on his way to Rome. The plot is
rather fanciful but the path of true love
between Dido and Aeneas is thwarted by
some wicked witches and Dido dies of a
broken heart.
Track 3 Ah Belinda
Track 4 When monarchs unite
Track 5 When could so much virtue
spring
JRM
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Purcell October 2015
6
Purcell: Dido &
Cont. Aeneas
(Decca)
7
Purcell Music for
Queen Mary
(Warner Classics)
2
Purcell Full
again Anthems & Organ
Music on the Death
of Queen Mary
(Naxos)
8
Purcell Ode for St.
Cecelia’s Day
Track 6 Fear no danger
Track 33 Thy hand Belinda followed by
Dido’s Lament; “When I am laid in earth.”
(A very moving setting to the words by
Nahum Tate who was Poet Laureate)
Track 34 Chorus
(With drooping wings ye cupids come to
scatter roses on her tomb.)
Tracks 24 – 27 Music for the Funeral of
Queen Mary (This recording features the
period Flatt trumpet.
Track 13
(For comparison as detailed records of the
exact way the music was used in the
funeral service are sketchy!)
Track 1
(If time)
The Lyrics from Dido’s Lament
When I am laid, am laid in earth, may my wrongs create
No trouble, no trouble in, in thy breast.
When I am laid, am laid in earth, may my wrongs create
No trouble, no trouble in, in thy breast.
Remember me, remember me, but ah!
Forget my fate.
Remember me, but ah!
Forget my fate.
Remember me, remember me, but ah!
Forget my fate.
Remember me, but ah!
Forget my fate.
`
JRM
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