Choruses are more vibrant, dance rhythms more percussive and solos more delicate than in any previous recording. Above all, McCreesh and his artists make us hear Purcell’s genius for word-setting…But the chief delight of this recording is its consort aesthetic: rather than elbowing forward through virtuosity, the artists exert themselves to work as a collective…another jewel in McCreesh’s crown.

The eight soloists with two additional singers form an excellent chorus that is adept in every context...Throughout the opera McCreesh’s speeds are relaxed rather than driven – no bad thing, to my mind, and it results in Dryden’s wonderful poetry being acted with personable clarity, and the lucidity of musical gestures ensures that affection and intimacy are the hallmarks of a performance that conveys a humane smile.

[McCreesh] gives us a performance benefitting from years of living with and thinking about the work, constantly evolving his approach to it. The result tempts only superlatives, for the new recording is as accomplished and richly satisfying an experience as anyone could hope for… There is to my mind not the slightest doubt that this truly accomplished achievement is destined to become the reference recording for what is one of Purcell’s finest works.

McCreesh’s Purcell is always worth waiting for. This patriotic 1691 semi-opera...is new to his discography, but is sung and played with his characteristic love of lean textures and youthful voices.

...new string articulation, coarser reeds for wind instruments and natural trumpets mean that the music has a vivid and lively personality. The ensemble of singers is excellent, and it’s good to hear fresh young soprano Rowan Pierce consolidating her growing career.