Purcell: King Arthur - John Eliot Gardiner (2 CDS)

With its lavish music and elaborate staging, the semi-opera King Arthur is one of the master-pieces in Purcell's works. On a text by the poet John Dryden very freely inspired from Arthurian legend and specifically devised for him, Purcell created a work of great expressive intensity which includes many of his most beautiful and well-known arias The importance of Monteverdi to John Eliot Gardiner is signalled by the fact that, when he founded a choir in 1964, it was for a performance of Monteverdi Vespers. The Monteverdi Choir went on to celebrate it's 50th anniversary in 2014 with a performance of the same work.

- Disc 1 -
1 King Arthur, Z. 628: Overture
2 King Arthur, Z. 628: Air
3 King Arthur, Z. 628: Overture to Act 1
4 King Arthur, Z. 628, Act 1: "Woden, First to Thee... to Woden, Our Defender" (Contralto, Tenor, Bar
5 King Arthur, Z. 628, Act 1: "The Lot Is Cast, and Tanfan Pleas'd" (Soprano)
6 King Arthur, Z. 628, Act 1: "Brave Souls, to Be Renown'd in Story" (Chorus)
7 King Arthur, Z. 628, Act 1: "I Call You All to Woden's Hall" (Countertenor, Chorus)
8 King Arthur, Z. 628, Act 1: "Come If You Dare" (Tenor, Chorus)
9 King Arthur, Z. 628, Act 2: "Hither, This Way, This Way Bend" (Philidel, Chorus)
10 King Arthur, Z. 628, Act 2: "Let Not a Moonborn Elf Mislead Ye" (Grimbald)
11 King Arthur, Z. 628, Act 2: "Hither, This Way, This Way Bend" (Chorus)
12 King Arthur, Z. 628, Act 2: "Come, Follow Me" (Philidel, Sopranos, Spirits, Chorus)
13 King Arthur, Z. 628, Act 2: "How Blest Are Shepherds, How Happy Their Lasses" (Shepherd, Chorus)
14 King Arthur, Z. 628, Act 2: "Shepherd, Leave Decoying" (Shepherdesses)
15 King Arthur, Z. 628, Act 2: "Come, Shepherds, Lead Up a Lively Measure" (Chorus)
16 King Arthur, Z. 628, Act 2: Air
17 King Arthur, Z. 628, Act 3: "What Ho! Thou Genius of This Isle" (Cupid)
18 King Arthur, Z. 628, Act 3: "What Power Art Thou" (Cold Genius)
19 King Arthur, Z. 628, Act 3: "Thou Doting Fool, Forbear, Forbear!" (Cupid)
20 King Arthur, Z. 628, Act 3: "Great Love, I Know Thee Now" (Cold Genius)
21 King Arthur, Z. 628, Act 3: "No Part of My Dominion Shall Be Waste" (Cupid)
22 King Arthur, Z. 628, Act 3: "See, See, We Assemble" (Chorus)
23 King Arthur, Z. 628, Act 3: 'Tis I That Have Warm'd Ye... 'Tis Love That Has Warm'd Us" (Cupid, Cho
24 King Arthur, Z. 628, Act 3: "Sound a Parley, Ye Fair, and Surrender" (Cupid, Cold Genius, Chorus)
25 King Arthur, Z. 628, Act 3: Hornpipe
- Disc 2 -
1 King Arthur, Z. 628, Act 4: "Two Daughters of This Aged Stream Are We" (Sirens)
2 King Arthur, Z. 628, Act 4: "How Happy the Lover... for Love Ev'ry Creature" (Nymphs, Men, Chorus)
3 King Arthur, Z. 628, Act 4: Air
4 King Arthur, Z. 628, Act 5: Trumpet Tune No. 1
5 King Arthur, Z. 628, Act 5: "Ye Blust'ring Brethren of the Skies" (Aeolus)
6 King Arthur, Z. 628, Act 5: Symphony
7 King Arthur, Z. 628, Act 5: "Round Thy Coast, Fair Nymph of Britain" (Nereid, Pan, Chorus)
8 King Arthur, Z. 628, Act 5: "For Folded Flocks, and Fruitful Plains" (Countertenor, Tenor, Baritone)
9 King Arthur, Z. 628, Act 5: "Your Hay It Is Mow'd" (Comus, Men)
10 King Arthur, Z. 628, Act 5: "Fairest Isle" (Venus)
11 King Arthur, Z. 628, Act 5: "You Say 'Tis Love" (She, He)
12 King Arthur, Z. 628, Act 5: Trumpet Tune No. 2
13 King Arthur, Z. 628, Act 5: "ST George the Patron of Our Isle!... Our Natives Not Alone Appear" (Ho
14 King Arthur, Z. 628, Act 5: Chaconne