June: Purcell - Hail, Bright Cecilia

[Jared]

^^ which coincidentally, is also the same one I own...

[Diapason]

I have 3 on CD and one on an old copied cassette that I might struggle to find now. The CDs are:







And the older McKerras recording is the one on tape:


None of them is perfect, they all have positives and negatives, but I think the Gardiner is my favourite. The Parrott is a bit serious at times and the King a bit under-rehearsed. The McKerras sounds a bit dated but still has some solid moments. The only ones I ever really listen to are the Gardiner and the King, although the Parrott is a VERY recent addition to the shelf.

[jaybee]

interesting....

my knowledge of Purcell is mostly limited to "three parts upon a ground"

would it be Lully-esque (-ish??)

[Jose Echenique]

Though I also have the Gardiner and the Parrott, I think the 3 finest recordings available right now are:

1.The Gabrieli Consort & Paul McCreesh.
2.Collegium Vocale & Philippe Herreweghe.

and

3.Les Musiciens du Louvre & Marc Minkowski (comes with the Handel Ode and the Haydn St. Cecilia Mass).

[Diapason]

Apologies for that hiatus, I should have known that a bank holiday weekend wouldn’t be the ideal time to sit at my computer writing mini essays on Purcell, but I still somehow thought I’d do better than this. Let’s get on with it now.

Most of Purcell’s work, both for church and court events, seem to have called for small forces of musicians. Hail Bright Cecilia, on the other hand, is scored for strings, 2 oboes, 2 trumpets, 2 “flutes” (recorders really) with a bass flute, timpani and continuo: a large orchestra by the standards of the time. It is thought that there were 2 voices to a part, allowing for solos, duets and choruses. After an opening instrumental “Symphony”, the work is framed by 2 large-scale choruses, 1 large chorus around halfway, and solos, duets, etc. in a variety of styles, and with a variety of instrumentation.

Introduction: Symphony

The Symphony that starts the work is an immediate indication of the scale we can expect. It’s in 5 sections alternating between slow and fast tempi, and demonstrating the newer “homophonic” musical style coming into vogue, as well as a mastery of the earlier “polyphonic” style. The French-style dotted rhythms of the stately, arresting opening (in D major: there are trumpets after all) are followed by a light and airy canzona on 2 subjects. The slow section which follows is a beautiful dialogue between violins and oboes. It is in A minor, but there are a few chromatic moments along the way to keep things spicy. A fanfare wakes us from the reverie, played by trumpets and oboes before being joined by the strings, and this bounces along nicely until the tempo once again slows to “Grave” for the final section of the Symphony. Oboe and strings start in a very serious D minor of slow repeated notes, while the bass propels us forward via more and more remote keys, adding tension with a long pedal A before resolving to D major.

This Introduction, with its proliferation of styles, finely worked counterpoint, and interesting harmonic progressions must have delighted the “Gentleman Lovers of Musick” who commissioned the work. As for me, I really like the music, but I could do without the repeats. I sometimes feel that, as marvellous as the music is, the Introduction slightly overstays its welcome. Certainly the recordings that have a *very* stately introduction do not enamour themselves to me. I really like King in this introduction as he keeps things bouncing along, as does Gardiner.

[Diapason]

Jose, I came very close to buying the McCreesh a while back, but the reviews made me think it might not be for me. I may have to look into again, as well as the others you mention. Which is your favourite?

[Jose Echenique]

Jose, I came very close to buying the McCreesh a while back, but the reviews made me think it might not be for me. I may have to look into again, as well as the others you mention. Which is your favourite?

Personally, it would be the Herreweghe. The Belgian conductor has a surprising affinity with Purcell, and his recording is supremely elegant and classy. That said, the McCreesh with 100% British forces is perhaps that bit more idiomatic. I never read a review that was lukewarm towards the McCreesh. In the Gramophone it was a recording of the month.

[Diapason]

Can I justify buying more? Not sure...

[fergus]

Can I justify buying more? Not sure...

You need more test material for those 57s Simon....

[fergus]

I think that the introduction is a fine one and quite worthy of the work as a whole in terms of content and scale. I can see where you are coming from Simon in terms of its length but I think that because of its quality he just about gets away with it. The use of and the music for the trumpets is quite successful in keeping the whole section going I think. If the introduction had contained a greater balance bias in favour of the allegro sections I don’t think that one could have any complaint at all. I think that Parrott keeps thing moving along quite steadily as well. I too really like that slow section which is indeed a beautiful dialogue between violins and oboes; it is really lovely.