Let the dreadfull Engines You twice ten hundred Deities Bacchus is a pow'r divine The first two songs of this edition both appear in stage works; Let the dreadfull engines is sung by Cardenio in The Comical History of Don Quixote, i, and You twice ten hundred Deities belongs to Ismeron in The Indian Queen. The third song Bacchus is a Pow'r Divine is claimed by Henry Playford to be published for the first time in Orpheus Britannicus. Let the dreadfull engines is a mad song, Cardenio appearing 'in Ragged Cloaths, and in a Wild Posture' , his 'deranged mental state induced by the faithlessness of his beloved. Performers do not always appreciate that this famous song is a comic exploration of madness, but Purcell made the point unmistakably with ludicrous juxtapositions of declamatory passages in the grand manner and folk-like ballad tunes'. Ismeron's song comes as a response to the love-sick queen Zempoalla's demand that he summon up the God of Dreams to foretell her fate. This ' .is the most awe-inspiring of Purcell's conjuring tricks.' In turn, the magician sings an invocation to the god, a series of expressive incantations of charms, and a climactic rising chromatic sequence, as the sleeping god arises. The song finishes paradoxically with a lullaby passage in triple time. Bacchus is a Pow'r Divine is, as its title might suggest, a drinking song. Nevertheless Purcell raises the song above the unworthiness of its text (and subject!) with the ingenuity of his word-painting. (The quotations are taken from Peter Holman's book Henry Purcell, Oxford, OUP (1994) p 215, quoting Curtis Price: Henry Purcell, p212-213
SKU: ST.PE27
ISBN 9790220222009.
A collection of five cantatas and three vocal duets, plus In a deep vision's intellectual scene ('The Complaint') for two sopranos, bass and continuo, these nine symphony songs are similar in style and structure to their sacred counterparts, the symphony anthems, and include works to texts by Charles Howe, Abraham Cowley and Anon. CONTENTS A Serenading Song (Soft notes, and gently rais'd) - SB solos, 2 treble recorders, instrumental bass and continuo Hark, Damon, hark! - SB solos, 2 violins, 2 treble recorders, instrumental bass and continuo Hark how the wild musicians sing - TTB solos, 2 violins, instrumental bass and continuo How pleasant is this flow'ry plain - ST solos, 2 treble recorders, instrumental bass and continuo If ever I more riches did desire - SSTB solos, 2 violins, instrumental bass and continuo In a deep vision's intellectual scene (The Complaint) - SSB solos, instrumental bass and continuo Oh! what a scene does entertain my sight! - SB solos, violin, instrumental bass and continuo See where she sits (Weeping) - SB solos, 2 violins, instrumental bass and continuo Soft Notes, and gently rais'd (A Serenading Song) - SB solos, 2 treble recorders instrumental bass and continuo The Complaint (In a deep vision's intellectual scene) - SSB solos, instrumental bass and continuo Weeping (See where she sits) - SB solos, 2 violins, instrumental bass and continuo We reap all the pleasures (incomplete) - STB solos, 2 treble recorders, instrumental bass and continuo.