Audio CD review:
Mark Levy, Henry Purcell, Elizabeth Kenny, Gary Cooper, Deborah York, Libby Crabtree, Rachel Elliott - Purcell: Songs and Music from the Gresham Autograph

Mark Levy, Henry Purcell, Elizabeth Kenny, Gary Cooper, Deborah York, Libby Crabtree, Rachel Elliott - Purcell: Songs and Music from the Gresham Autograph

Band: Mark Levy, Henry Purcell, Elizabeth Kenny, Gary Cooper, Deborah York, Libby Crabtree, Rachel Elliott Title: Purcell: Songs and Music from the Gresham Autograph Rating: Release Date: 16 November, 1999 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: Come All Yee Songsters 2: May Ye God Of Wit 3: Heark How All Things 4: Ground in G Gamut (Z.645) 5: Thrice Happy Lovers 6: I Look'd And Saw 7: Now Ye Night Is Chac'd Away 8: Hark Th' Ecchoing Air 9: Turn Then Thine Eyes 10: Ground In D Minor (Z.D222) 11: No No Poor Suff'ring Heart 12: In Vain 'Gainst Love 13: Yes Daphne In Yor Face 14: Corrinna Is Divinely Fair 15: Thus To A Ripe Consenting Maid 16: Hornpipe In E Minor (Z.T685) 17: Voluntary In G (Z.720) 18: 'Tis Natures Voice 19: Thou Tuns't This World 20: The Fife And All Ye Harmony 21: Voluntary In D Minor (Z.718) 22: Aprill Who Til Now 23: Departing Thus 24: Kindly Treat Maria's Day 25: Prelude In G Minor (Z.661) 26: Ah! Cruel Nymph 27: I See She Fly's Me 28: I Love And I Must 29: Not All My Torments 30: What Can Wee Poor Females Doe

Editoral Review It's a collection of songs the composer extracted from larger works such as The Fairy Queen, the ode Hail, Bright Cecilia! and works in honor of Queen Mary, as well as some freestanding songs like the notorious "What can we poor females do?" All of the songs are arranged for one soloist, including many that were originally duets and trios. The Gresham Autograph is a manuscript in Purcell's own handwriting evidently prepared for giving recitals rather like the one on this disc. Purcell transposed a number of the works up for soprano from their original ranges--most notably "'Tis Nature's Voice" from Hail, Bright Cecilia!, originally for a countertenor (quite possibly Purcell himself). On this release, we hear three different sopranos, all stalwarts of London's baroque music scene: the assured Rachel Elliott, the gentle, sweet-voiced Libby Crabtree, and the vibrant Deborah York, whose rendition of "'Tis Nature's Voice" is a highlight. And there's an extra treat: several of Purcell's short pieces for keyboard played on a spinet (sort of a baby harpsichord) and a small 16th-century English organ with a distinctive timbre. The one piece of bad news: you'll have to listen through or around the recording to appreciate much of this. The combination of venue and recording quality tends to even out the nuances of volume in the singing (only the most obvious echo effects register), giving a nasal edge to the voices and exaggerating their (slight) vibrato somewhat. This is a well-performed program of some delightful Purcell songs. It's just unfortunate that the flat sound gets in the way. --Matthew Westphal .. You can see a complete list of all Mark Levy, Henry Purcell, Elizabeth Kenny, Gary Cooper, Deborah York, Libby Crabtree, Rachel Elliott discography, or go back to the Mark Levy, Henry Purcell, Elizabeth Kenny, Gary Cooper, Deborah York, Libby Crabtree, Rachel Elliott tabs