Purcell’s 1692 operatic adaptation of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream contains some of the composer’s finest music, from its scenes of bawdy excess to arias of exquisite sweetness. No wonder Purcell had a hand in reviving Shakespeare’s flagging reputation. The Gabrieli Consort and superb soloists let the theatricality of The Fairy Queen speak for itself, teasing out every nuance with a deft touch. There are myriad moments in which to luxuriate, including the arias “See, Even Night Herself Is Here” and “O Let Me Weep,” both beautifully sung by soprano Carolyn Sampson. And there’s Shakespearean fun in abundance, in the sprightly orchestral interludes and ribald song “Now the Maids and the Men Are Making of Hay.”
- The Sixteen & Harry Christophers
- Handel and Haydn Society & Harry Christophers
- The Orlando Consort
- Les Arts Florissants & Paul Agnew
- Joanne Lunn, Mark Padmore, Bernarda Fink, Julian Clarkson, Hanno Müller-Brachmann, Monteverdi Choir, Robert Murray, Peter Harvey, Paul Tindall, Katherine Fuge, English Baroque Soloists & John Eliot Gardiner
- Collegium Vocale Gent & Philippe Herreweghe