Purcell: The Fairy Queen, Z629

Pountney's 1995 ENO production cuts the spoken text of Purcell's semi-opera and plays the rest for laughs — BBC Music Magazine, June 2015, 2 out of 5 stars More…

Release Date: 5th Jan 2015
Catalogue No: 100201
Label: Arthaus Musik

English National Opera, 1995
Yvonne Kenny (Titania), Thomas Randle (Oberon), Simon Rice (Puck) & Richard Van Allan (King Theseus)
English National Opera
Nicholas Kok (conductor) & David Pountney (director)

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Choreographed and Staged by Quinny Sacks

David Pountney’s enchanting and colourful production of Purcell’s The Fairy Queen launched in 1995 by the English National Opera was received with great enthusiasm by both the public and musical press. Under the musical direction of Nicholas Kok, the English National Orchestra played a baroque music which was as crystal clear as it was expressively infectious. Next to outstanding performers of the dancing roles such as Puck (Simon Rice) and the Indian boy (Arthur Pita), an entire armada of excellent singers was summoned up such as one seldom experiences together on the baroque opera stage. These included Yvonne Kenny as Titania, Thomas Randle as Oberon and Richard Van Allan as King Theseus. Jonathan Best, with his comic portrayal of the drunken poet, was loved by the audience and praised highly by the press, while other singers like Michael Chance, Mary Hegarthy, Janis Kelly, Marc Le Brocq and Christopher Ross all contributed their talents to produce an unusual musical theatre experience.

Sound Format: PCM Stereo

Picture Format: 16:9

DVD Format: DVD 9 / NTSC

Running Time: 134 mins

Original Language: GB

Subtitles: DE, FR, ES

FSK: 0

Reviews

June 2015

Pountney's 1995 ENO production cuts the spoken text of Purcell's semi-opera and plays the rest for laughs

May 2015

it makes for a highly entertaining show...Tom Randle and Yvonne Kenny are excellent as Oberon and Titania...The dancing is imaginative and amusing, and the ENO forces under Nicholas Kok could have been performing Purcell all their lives.

Classical Music

[David Pountney] captures the madness of the original [production of The Fairy Queen] with a bravura staging, performed with gusto by a large ensemble. The wit and inventiveness are astounding, plus it is laugh-out-loud funny – Jonathan Best’s Drunken Poet threatens to steal the show...Yvonne Kenny’s pearlescent soprano is caught at its peak as Titania, Tom Randle is a lithe Oberon and Nickolas Kok leads a springy performance from the pit.

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