Arise, my muse

Record and Artist Details

Composer or Director: Henry Purcell, John Blow, William Croft, Giovanni Gabrieli, Jeremiah Clarke

Genre:

Vocal

Label: Wigmore Hall Live

Media Format: CD or Download

Media Runtime: 59

Mastering:

DDD

Catalogue Number: WHLIVE0065

WHLIVE0065. Arise, my muse

Tracks:

Composition Artist Credit
Birthday Ode Arise, my Muse Henry Purcell, Composer
Henry Purcell, Composer
Iestyn Davies, Countertenor
Richard Egarr, Harpsichord
Birthday Ode, 'Come ye sons of art away', Movement: Strike the viol Henry Purcell, Composer
Henry Purcell, Composer
Iestyn Davies, Countertenor
Richard Egarr, Harpsichord
St Cecilia's Day Ode, 'Welcome to all the pleasures' Henry Purcell, Composer
Henry Purcell, Composer
Iestyn Davies, Countertenor
Richard Egarr, Harpsichord
The Pale and Purple Rose Henry Purcell, Composer
Henry Purcell, Composer
Iestyn Davies, Countertenor
Richard Egarr, Harpsichord
Sonata XXI con tre violini Giovanni Gabrieli, Composer
Giovanni Gabrieli, Composer
Richard Egarr, Harpsichord
St Cecilia's Day Ode, 'Hail, bright Cecilia', Movement: 'Tis Nature's voice Henry Purcell, Composer
Henry Purcell, Composer
Iestyn Davies, Countertenor
Richard Egarr, Harpsichord
Birthday Ode, 'Celebrate this festival', Movement: Crown the altar, deck the shrine Henry Purcell, Composer
Henry Purcell, Composer
Iestyn Davies, Countertenor
Richard Egarr, Harpsichord
If music be the food of love Henry Purcell, Composer
Henry Purcell, Composer
Iestyn Davies, Countertenor
Richard Egarr, Harpsichord
Fantasia: three parts on a ground Henry Purcell, Composer
Henry Purcell, Composer
Richard Egarr, Harpsichord
(The) Glory of the Arcadian groves Jeremiah Clarke, Composer
Iestyn Davies, Countertenor
Jeremiah Clarke, Composer
Richard Egarr, Harpsichord
Poor Celadon, he sighs in vain John Blow, Composer
Iestyn Davies, Countertenor
John Blow, Composer
Richard Egarr, Harpsichord
Ye tuneful Numbers - A song with symphonies William Croft, Composer
Iestyn Davies, Countertenor
Richard Egarr, Harpsichord
William Croft, Composer
Venus and Adonis, Movement: Suite John Blow, Composer
Iestyn Davies, Countertenor
John Blow, Composer
Richard Egarr, Harpsichord
O Solitude! my sweetest choice Henry Purcell, Composer
Henry Purcell, Composer
Iestyn Davies, Countertenor
Richard Egarr, Harpsichord
King Arthur, Movement: Song Tune: Fairest Isle Henry Purcell, Composer
Henry Purcell, Composer
Iestyn Davies, Countertenor
Richard Egarr, Harpsichord
It says a lot about Iestyn Davies’s musical instincts that his second Wigmore Hall Live disc is less a solo showcase than a chamber recital in which he is just one member of a superb ensemble cast. Led from the harpsichord by Richard Egarr, the instrumentalists here take by turns both supporting and starring roles in music from Restoration London that roams far beyond the obvious Purcell.

While Davies offers appealing performances of classic works – ‘O solitude, my sweetest choice’ is exquisitely poised, and ‘Strike the viol’ is transformed from politely swaying dance into a muscular, swinging piece of folk-like abandon – some of the best things here are the least familiar. Jeremiah Clarke’s ‘The Glory of the Arcadian Groves’ unfolds into elegant melodic arabesques with support from two suitably bucolic recorders, while John Blow’s ‘Poor Celadon’ laments neglect of his beloved nymph with courtly poise, in melting phrases perfectly suited to Davies’s lovely legato.

A particular highlight is the Suite from Blow’s Venus and Adonis, in which Egarr’s band impersonate a cheeky Cupid and a heavy-footed huntsman with equal verve. Purcell’s instrumental music is represented by the Fantasia: Three Parts on a Ground – possibly the earliest surviving example of the ground basses that underpin so much of the composer’s music. False relations wink and strings swagger, and if the result doesn’t quite achieve the same attack as London Baroque’s wonderful recording (Harmonia Mundi, 10/90), there’s a rawness here that lends a welcome clarity to the lines.

This is a disc that reminds us why live recital programmes are such a valuable part of recorded repertoire. Rather than the monochrome focus on the solo artist permitted by the artifice of the studio, we get a fully rounded musical experience that feels more satisfying both for performers and listeners.

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