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Purcell: Fantazias / Chelys Consort of Viols
BIS

Purcell: Fantazias / Chelys Consort of Viols

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Details

Composer
Purcell, Henry
Artist
Chelys Consort Of Viols
Format
SACD
Label
BIS
Released
Dec 03, 2021
Catalog #
BIS-2583
UPC
7318599925837

About

At the age of 20, Henry Purcell entered his 14 Fantasias and two In Nomines into an autograph bearing the title ‘The Works of Hen; Purcell, A.D. 1680’. Despite his youth Purcell was already making his mark as a composer, writing music for the London theatres and holding posts at Westminster Abbey and at court. But unlike his works for the theatre and the church, which were intended for specific occasions, very little is known about the impulse behind fantasias. Composed for between three and seven parts they are a consciously anachronistic distillation of an old style at a time when the reigning taste was for more modern sounds – for dance-based music with lively rhythms and hummable tunes. It isn’t even clear what kind of ensemble they were intended for: given the association with older music, one might assume that Purcell had viols in mind, but the distribution of the parts is not always in keeping with the standard sizes of the viol consort – nor for that matter those of the violin consort.

Were the fantasias in fact ever performed? None of these questions has a satisfactory answer, and in this respect the Purcell Fantasias resemble Bach’s The Art of the Fugue, because of their quality and inventiveness but also owing to the mysteries that surround them. The collection is here performed by Chelys Consort of Viols, following up on three previous and acclaimed releases on BIS featuring the music of Michael East, John Dowland, and Christopher Simpson.

REVIEW:

The Chelys readings, clean and rather circumspect, merit strong consideration for those interested in these youthful and intellectual Purcell works. Nicely recorded by BIS at Girton College Chapel, Cambridge, they don't overdo the mystery: the sound is clean and the polyphony clear. The pungent dissonances scattered through these works, which were a feature of the tradition (not just of Purcell's pieces), emerge with the proper emphasis, but the Consort does not lean into them unnecessarily.

-- AllMusic.com (James Manheim)

Tracklist 20 tracks

  1. 1 In Nomine a 6 in G Minor, Z. 746 02:04
    Track
    1
    Title
    In Nomine a 6 in G Minor, Z. 746
    Duration
    02:04
    Composer
    Henry Purcell
    Performer
    Emily Ashton
    Ensemble
    Chelys Consort of Viols
  2. 2 Fantasia a 4 No. 4 in G Minor, Z. 735 03:22
    Track
    2
    Title
    Fantasia a 4 No. 4 in G Minor, Z. 735
    Duration
    03:22
    Composer
    Henry Purcell
    Ensemble
    Chelys Consort of Viols
  3. 3 Fantasia a 4 No. 5 in B-Flat Major, Z. 736 03:53
    Track
    3
    Title
    Fantasia a 4 No. 5 in B-Flat Major, Z. 736
    Duration
    03:53
    Composer
    Henry Purcell
    Ensemble
    Chelys Consort of Viols
  4. 4 The Fairy Queen, Z. 629: Second Music: Rondeau 01:22
    Track
    4
    Title
    The Fairy Queen, Z. 629: Second Music: Rondeau
    Duration
    01:22
    Composer
    Henry Purcell
    Ensemble
    Chelys Consort of Viols
  5. 5 Fantasia a 4 No. 6 in F Major, Z. 737 03:21
    Track
    5
    Title
    Fantasia a 4 No. 6 in F Major, Z. 737
    Duration
    03:21
    Composer
    Henry Purcell
    Ensemble
    Chelys Consort of Viols
  6. 6 Fantasia a 4 No. 7 in C Minor, Z. 738 04:08
    Track
    6
    Title
    Fantasia a 4 No. 7 in C Minor, Z. 738
    Duration
    04:08
    Composer
    Henry Purcell
    Ensemble
    Chelys Consort of Viols
  7. 7 The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act V: Chaconne: Dance for a Chinese Man and Woman 02:45
    Track
    7
    Title
    The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act V: Chaconne: Dance for a Chinese Man and Woman
    Duration
    02:45
    Composer
    Henry Purcell
    Ensemble
    Chelys Consort of Viols
  8. 8 Fantasia a 4 No. 8 in D Minor, Z. 739 03:40
    Track
    8
    Title
    Fantasia a 4 No. 8 in D Minor, Z. 739
    Duration
    03:40
    Composer
    Henry Purcell
    Ensemble
    Chelys Consort of Viols
  9. 9 Fantasia a 4 No. 9 in A Minor, Z. 740 04:03
    Track
    9
    Title
    Fantasia a 4 No. 9 in A Minor, Z. 740
    Duration
    04:03
    Composer
    Henry Purcell
    Ensemble
    Chelys Consort of Viols
  10. 10 The Prophetess, Z. 627, "The History of Dioclesian", Act III: Two in one upon a Ground 02:33
    Track
    10
    Title
    The Prophetess, Z. 627, "The History of Dioclesian", Act III: Two in one upon a Ground
    Duration
    02:33
    Composer
    Henry Purcell
    Ensemble
    Chelys Consort of Viols
  11. 11 Fantasia a 4 No. 10 in E Minor, Z. 741 03:39
    Track
    11
    Title
    Fantasia a 4 No. 10 in E Minor, Z. 741
    Duration
    03:39
    Composer
    Henry Purcell
    Ensemble
    Chelys Consort of Viols
  12. 12 Fantasia a 4 No. 11 in G Major, Z. 742 03:11
    Track
    12
    Title
    Fantasia a 4 No. 11 in G Major, Z. 742
    Duration
    03:11
    Composer
    Henry Purcell
    Ensemble
    Chelys Consort of Viols
  13. 13 Fantasia a 4 No. 12 in D Minor, Z. 743 03:01
    Track
    13
    Title
    Fantasia a 4 No. 12 in D Minor, Z. 743
    Duration
    03:01
    Composer
    Henry Purcell
    Ensemble
    Chelys Consort of Viols
  14. 14 Fantasia a 4 in A Minor, Z. 744 01:03
    Track
    14
    Title
    Fantasia a 4 in A Minor, Z. 744
    Duration
    01:03
    Composer
    Henry Purcell
    Ensemble
    Chelys Consort of Viols
  15. 15 Fantasia a 5 in F, Z. 745, "Upon 1 Note" 02:50
    Track
    15
    Title
    Fantasia a 5 in F, Z. 745, "Upon 1 Note"
    Duration
    02:50
    Composer
    Henry Purcell
    Ensemble
    Chelys Consort of Viols
  16. 16 Fantasia a 3 No. 1 in D Minor, Z. 732 02:38
    Track
    16
    Title
    Fantasia a 3 No. 1 in D Minor, Z. 732
    Duration
    02:38
    Composer
    Henry Purcell
    Ensemble
    Chelys Consort of Viols
  17. 17 Fantasia a 3 No. 2 in F Major, Z. 733 02:55
    Track
    17
    Title
    Fantasia a 3 No. 2 in F Major, Z. 733
    Duration
    02:55
    Composer
    Henry Purcell
    Ensemble
    Chelys Consort of Viols
  18. 18 Fantasia a 3 No. 3 in G Minor, Z. 734 02:28
    Track
    18
    Title
    Fantasia a 3 No. 3 in G Minor, Z. 734
    Duration
    02:28
    Composer
    Henry Purcell
    Ensemble
    Chelys Consort of Viols
  19. 19 Chacony in G Minor, Z. 730 04:11
    Track
    19
    Title
    Chacony in G Minor, Z. 730
    Duration
    04:11
    Composer
    Henry Purcell
    Ensemble
    Chelys Consort of Viols
  20. 20 In Nomine a 7 in G Minor, Z. 747, "Dorian" 03:20
    Track
    20
    Title
    In Nomine a 7 in G Minor, Z. 747, "Dorian"
    Duration
    03:20
    Composer
    Henry Purcell
    Performer
    Emily Ashton, Harry Buckoke
    Ensemble
    Chelys Consort of Viols