Purcell: Nine Pieces from 'The Fairy Queen'
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Arranged by Raymond Burley.
9 pieces arranged as a suite with an option to divide the music into two shorter suites.
9 pieces arranged as a suite with an option to divide the music into two shorter suites.
From the Introduction:
The first performance of the musical stage play 'The Fairy Queen' - based on Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' - took place in April 1692 at the Dorset Gardens Theatre in London, with incidental music composed by Purcell.
The present selection of pieces represents a small portion of Purcell's contribution to the play; with the guitar quartet arrangements I have attempted to present movements that are contrasted in character and, most importantly, sound convincing in their new format.
As it may not be feasible to perform the entire set of nine pieces as a whole, I would offer the following suggestions for shorter suites:
Suite 1. Prelude, Rondeau, Dance for the followers of night, Jig, Chaconne
Suite 2. Entry Dance, Air, Dance for the fairies, Hornpipe, Chaconne.
