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Reviewer: Nigel
Simeone
Another Purcell set presents a major work in a performance that's
extremely attractive: The Fairy Queen ‑ setting a libretto
based on Shakespeare's Midsummer Nights Dream ‑ is sung by a very
large cast of soloists (led by Nancy Argenta, Véronique Gens and Sandrine
Piau), with Les Arts Florissants conducted by William Christie. The booklet
includes a complete libretto, but gives no indication of which singer
performs each of the numbers, which is a little frustrating. It doesn't
really matter as the quality of the performance is so consistently high, and
Christie's forces (recorded in 1989) characterize the music so well. There
are a number of good rival versions, but the combination of elegance and
animation in this recording makes for enchanting listening.
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