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Mstation Classical Reviews


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Thu, 01 Jun 2006

Purcell: Dido and Aeneas

Henry Purcell, Dido and Aeneas
Lynne Dawson, Rosemary Josua, Gerald Finley
Clare College Chapel Choir
Timothy Brown
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Rene Jacobs
LP, Harmonia Mundi

We would have more Harmonia Mundi but their laughingly titled PR people seem to be ... well, they are not gifted at their trade, let us say.

I'll mention this recording because it comes packaged with their catalogue for 2006 and has been released at a low price. And this is not the normal recorded-in-Zagreb low price offering.

This was Purcell's only pure opera and even though it was put together as a court entertainment, and thus with no real thought of continuing performances, it has gone on to be one of Purcell's most performed works. It is a delight and every lover of early music should have a copy. Faced with which one to buy (there are many recordings) can be a confusing task -- which emphasis is correct? That I wouldn't like to say but this recording sounds very true to the spirit of this type of music and its time and is well worth investigating. (Baron K)

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