''The Fairy-Queen'' (1692; Purcell catalogue number Z.629) is a

semi-opera The terms "semi-opera", "dramatic opera" and "English opera" were all applied to Restoration entertainments that combined spoken plays with masque-like episodes employing singing and dancing characters. They usually included machines in the manne ...

by Henry Purcell; a "

Restoration spectacular The Restoration spectacular was a type of theatre production of the late 17th-century Restoration period that is defined by the amount of money, time, sets, and performers required to produce. These productions attracted and enticed audiences w ...

". The libretto is an anonymous adaptation of

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's comedy '' A Midsummer Night's Dream''. First performed in 1692, ''The Fairy-Queen'' was composed three years before Purcell's death at the age of 35. Following his death, the score was lost and only rediscovered early in the twentieth century. Purcell did not set any of Shakespeare's text to music; instead he composed music for short masques in every act but the first. The play itself was also slightly modernised in keeping with seventeenth-century dramatic conventions, but in the main the spoken text is as Shakespeare wrote it. The masques are related to the play metaphorically, rather than literally. Many critics have stated that they bear no relationship to the play. Recent scholarship has shown that the opera, which ends with a masque featuring Hymen, the God of Marriage, was composed for the fifteenth wedding anniversary of William III and Mary II. Growing interest in Baroque music and the rise of the countertenor contributed to the work's re-entry into the repertoire. The opera received several full-length recordings in the latter part of the 20th century and several of its arias, including "The Plaint" ("O let me weep"), have become popular recital pieces. In July 2009, in celebration of the 350th anniversary of Purcell's birth, ''The Fairy-Queen'' was performed by

Glyndebourne Festival Opera Glyndebourne Festival Opera is an annual opera festival held at Glyndebourne, an English country house near Lewes, in East Sussex, England. History Under the supervision of the Christie family, the festival has been held annually since 1934, ...

using a new edition of the score, prepared for the

Purcell Society {{primary sources, date=March 2015 The Purcell Society, founded in 1876 (principally by William Hayman Cummings) is an organization dedicated to making the complete musical works of Henry Purcell available. Between 1876 and 1965, scores of all the ...

by Bruce Wood and Andrew Pinnock.

Original production

''The Fairy-Queen'' was first performed on 2 May 1692 at the

Queen's Theatre, Dorset Garden The Dorset Garden Theatre in London, built in 1671, was in its early years also known as the Duke of York's Theatre, or the Duke's Theatre. In 1685, King Charles II died and his brother, the Duke of York, was crowned as James II. When the D ...

in London by the

United Company The United Company was a London theatre company formed in 1682 with the merger of the King's Company and the Duke's Company. Both the Duke's and King's Companies suffered poor attendance during the turmoil of the Popish Plot period, 1678&ndas ...

. The author or at least co-author of the libretto was presumably

Thomas Betterton Thomas Patrick Betterton (August 1635 – 28 April 1710), the leading male actor and theatre manager during Restoration England, son of an under-cook to King Charles I, was born in London. Apprentice and actor Betterton was born in August 16 ...

, the manager of Dorset Garden Theatre, with whom Purcell worked regularly. This belief is based on an analysis of Betterton's stage directions.Muller 2005 pp. 667–681 A collaboration between several playwrights is also feasible. Choreography for the various dances was provided by

Josias Priest Josias Priest (''c.'' 1645 – 3 January 1735 in Chelsea, London) was an English dancer, dancing-master and choreographer. Biography In 1669, Priest was arrested along with four others for dancing and making music without a license. In 1668, he wa ...

, who also worked on ''

Dioclesian ''Dioclesian'' (''The Prophetess: or, The History of Dioclesian'') is an English tragicomic semi-opera in five acts by Henry Purcell to a libretto by Thomas Betterton based on the play '' The Prophetess'', by John Fletcher and Philip Massinger, ...

'' and '' King Arthur'', and who was associated with ''

Dido and Aeneas ''Dido and Aeneas'' (Z. 626) is an opera in a prologue and three acts, written by the English Baroque composer Henry Purcell with a libretto by Nahum Tate. The dates of the composition and first performance of the opera are uncertain. It was com ...

''. A letter describing the original performance shows that the parts of Titania and

Oberon Oberon () is a king of the fairies in medieval and Renaissance literature. He is best known as a character in William Shakespeare's play ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'', in which he is King of the Fairies and spouse of Titania, Queen of the Fairi ...

were played by children of eight or nine. Presumably other fairies were also played by children; this affects our perspective on the staging.

Context and analysis

Following the huge success of his operas ''

'' (1690) and '' King Arthur'' (1691), Purcell composed ''The Fairy-Queen '' in 1692. Purcell's "First" and "Second Music" were played while the audience were taking their seats. The "Act Tunes" are played between acts, as the curtain was normally raised at the beginning of a performance and not lowered until the end. After act 1, each act commences with a short symphony (3–5 minutes). The English tradition of semi-opera, to which ''The Fairy-Queen'' belongs, demanded that most of the music within the play be introduced through the agency of supernatural beings, the exception being pastoral or drunken characters. All the masques in ''The Fairy-Queen'' are presented by Titania or Oberon. Originally act 1 contained no music, but due to the work's enormous success it was revived in 1693, when Purcell added the scene of the Drunken Poet and two further songs later on in the work; "Ye gentle spirits of the air" and "The Plaint".Price 2006 As noted above, each masque is subtly related to the action in the play during that particular act in a metaphorical way. In this manner we have Night and Sleep in act 2, which is apt as that act of the play consists of Oberon's plans to use the power of the " love-in-idleness" flower to confuse various loves, and it is therefore appropriate for the allegorical figures of Secrecy, Mystery ''et al.'' to usher in a night of enchantment. The masque for Bottom in act 3 includes metamorphoses, songs of both real and feigned love, and beings who are not what they seem. The Reconciliation masque between Oberon and Titania at the end of act 4 prefigures the final masque. The scene changes to a Garden of Fountains, denoting King William's hobby, just after Oberon says "bless these Lovers' Nuptial Day". The Four Seasons tell us that the marriage here celebrated is a good one all year round and "All Salute the rising Sun"/...The Birthday of King Oberon". The kings of England were traditionally likened to the sun (Oberon = William. Significantly, William and Mary were married on his birthday, 4 November.). The Chinese scene in the final masque is in homage to Queen Mary's famous collection of china. The garden shown above it and the exotic animals bring King William back into the picture and Hymen's song in praise of their marriage, plus the stage direction bringing (Mary's) china vases containing (William's) orange trees to the front of the stage complete the symbolism.

The music

Written as he approached the end of his brief career, ''The Fairy-Queen'' contains some of Purcell's finest theatre music, as musicologists have agreed for generations. In particular,

Constant Lambert Leonard Constant Lambert (23 August 190521 August 1951) was a British composer, conductor, and author. He was the founder and music director of the Royal Ballet, and (alongside Ninette de Valois and Frederick Ashton) he was a major figure in th ...

was a great admirer; from it he arranged a suite and in collaboration with Edward Dent arranged the work to form the then new Covent Garden opera company's first postwar production. It shows to excellent effect Purcell's complete mastery of the pungent English style of Baroque counterpoint, as well as displaying his absorption of Italian influences. Several arias such as "The Plaint", "Thrice happy lovers" and "Hark! the echoing air" have entered the discographic repertory of many singers outside their original context. The orchestra for ''The Fairy-Queen'' consists of two

recorder Recorder or The Recorder may refer to: Newspapers * ''Indianapolis Recorder'', a weekly newspaper * ''The Recorder'' (Massachusetts newspaper), a daily newspaper published in Greenfield, Massachusetts, US * ''The Recorder'' (Port Pirie), a news ...

s, two

oboe The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range. ...

s, two trumpets, timpani, string instruments and harpsichord continuo.

Performance history

Following Purcell's premature death, his opera ''Dioclesian'' remained popular until well into the eighteenth century, but the score of ''The Fairy-Queen'' was lost and only rediscovered early in the twentieth century. Other works like it fell into obscurity. Changing tastes were not the only reason for this; the voices employed had also become difficult to find. The list of singers below shows the frequent employment of the male alto, or ''countertenor'', in the semi-opera, a voice which, after Purcell, essentially vanished from the stage, probably due to the rise of Italian opera and the attendant castrati. After that Romantic opera emerged, with the attendant predominance of the

tenor A tenor is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The low extreme for tenors is wide ...

. Until the early music revival, the male alto survived mainly in the ecclesiastical tradition of all-male church choirs and twentieth-century American vocal quartets. However, Purcell's music (and with it ''The Fairy-Queen'') was resuscitated by two related movements: a growing interest in Baroque music and the rise of the countertenor, led by pioneers such as

Alfred Deller Alfred George Deller, CBE (31 May 1912 – 16 July 1979), was an English singer and one of the main figures in popularising the return of the countertenor voice in Renaissance and Baroque music during the 20th century. He is sometimes referr ...

and

Russell Oberlin Russell Keys Oberlin (October 11, 1928 – November 25, 2016)Millington, Barry "Russell Oberlin obituary" ''The Guardian'', December 5, 2016; retrieved December 15, 2016. was an American singer and founding member of the New York New York Pro Musi ...

. The former movement led to performances of long-neglected composers such as Purcell,

John Dowland John Dowland (c. 1563 – buried 20 February 1626) was an English Renaissance composer, lutenist, and singer. He is best known today for his melancholy songs such as "Come, heavy sleep", " Come again", "Flow my tears", " I saw my Lady weepe", ...

John Blow John Blow (baptised 23 February 1649 – 1 October 1708) was an English composer and organist of the Baroque period. Appointed organist of Westminster Abbey in late 1668,George Frideric Handel, while the latter complemented it by providing a way of making such performances as authentic as possible as regards the original music and the composer's intentions (less true for Handel, where countertenors appear as castrati replacements).Steane This has led to ''The Fairy-Queen's'' increased popularity, and numerous recordings have been made, often using period instruments. The format of the work presents problems to modern directors, who must decide whether or not to present Purcell's music as part of the original play, which uncut is rather lengthy. Savage calculated a length of four hours. The decision to curtail the play is usually taken together with the resolution to modernise to such an extent that the cohesion between music, text and action sketched above is entirely lost, a criticism levelled at the

English National Opera English National Opera (ENO) is an opera company based in London, resident at the London Coliseum in St Martin's Lane. It is one of the two principal opera companies in London, along with The Royal Opera. ENO's productions are sung in English ...

's 1995 production directed by

David Pountney Sir David Willoughby Pountney (born 10 September 1947) is a British-Polish theatre and opera director and librettist internationally known for his productions of rarely performed operas and new productions of classic works. He has directed over ...

. The production was released on video the same year, and revived by the company in 2002. A bold approach was taken at the Brazilian Opera Company's 2000 staging by Luiz Päetow, with the libretto becoming unstuck in time. In July 2009, two months before the 350th anniversary of Purcell's birth, ''The Fairy-Queen'' was performed in a new edition, prepared for The Purcell Society by Bruce Wood and Andrew Pinnock, which restored the entire theatrical entertainment as well as the original pitch used by Purcell. The performance by

with the

Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (OAE) is a British period instrument orchestra. The OAE is a resident orchestra of the Southbank Centre, London, associate orchestra at Glyndebourne Festival Opera Artistic Associate at Kings Place, and h ...

conducted by William Christie was repeated later that month at the Royal Albert Hall as part of the

BBC Proms The BBC Proms or Proms, formally named the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts Presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hal ...

. In June 2016, the opera was performed by the

Hungarian State Opera The Hungarian State Opera is the national opera company of Hungary. Located in Budapest, it is a busy institution, with over 200 operas each calendar year, on top of extensive educational programs, ballet, and musical theatre. The company employs ...

, in a new, neo-noir production directed by András Almási-Tóth

Roles

The role of Mopsa was originally performed by a soprano; however, a later revision by Purcell stated that it was to be performed by "Mr. Pate in woman's habit", presumably to have a grotesque effect and highlight the refrain "No, no, no, no, no; no kissing at all" in the dialogue between Corydon and Mopsa. Also, it is not entirely clear what the word " countertenor" means in this context. The record is ambivalent as to whether Purcell (himself a countertenor) used a tenor with a particularly high range (though lighter at the top) and

tessitura In music, tessitura (, pl. ''tessiture'', "texture"; ) is the most acceptable and comfortable vocal range for a given singer or less frequently, musical instrument, the range in which a given type of voice presents its best-sounding (or characte ...

(known sometimes as an ''

haute-contre The haute-contre (plural hautes-contre) was the primary French operatic tenor voice, predominant in French Baroque and Classical opera, from the middle of the seventeenth century until the latter part of the eighteenth century. History This voice ...

'', the descendants of the ''contratenors alti'' of medieval

polyphony Polyphony ( ) is a type of musical texture consisting of two or more simultaneous lines of independent melody, as opposed to a musical texture with just one voice, monophony, or a texture with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords, ...

) or a falsettist. It seems that throughout his career he used both. However, purely for reasons of dramatic verisimilitude, it is more likely than not that the

travesty A travesty is an absurd or grotesque misrepresentation, a parody, or grossly inferior imitation. In literary or theatrical contexts it may refer to: * Burlesque, a literary, dramatic, or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the ...

role of Mopsa was taken by a falsettist, and the presence of a duet for two male altos ("Let the fifes and the clarions") makes it seem more probable that for this work falsettists were employed. ''For a list of non-singing characters see A Midsummer Night's Dream, with the exception of Hippolyta, who was removed by Purcell's librettist.''

Synopsis

''For the plot of the play see A Midsummer Night's Dream. Only a synopsis of scenes provided with music is given here.''

Act 1

The first scene set to music occurs after Titania has left Oberon, following an argument over the ownership of a little Indian boy. Two of her fairies sing of the delights of the countryside ("Come, come, come, come, let us leave the town"). A drunken, stuttering poet enters, singing "Fill up the bowl". The stuttering has led many to believe the scene is based on the habits of

Thomas d'Urfey Thomas d'Urfey (a.k.a. Tom Durfey; 165326 February 1723) was an English writer and wit. He wrote plays, songs, jokes, and poems. He was an important innovator and contributor in the evolution of the ballad opera. Life D'Urfey was born in Devonsh ...

. However, it may also be poking fun at

Elkanah Settle Elkanah Settle (1 February 1648 – 12 February 1724) was an English poet and playwright. Biography He was born at Dunstable, and entered Trinity College, Oxford, in 1666, but left without taking a degree. His first tragedy, '' Cambyses, King ...

, who stuttered as well and was long thought to be the librettist, due to an error in his 1910 biography. The fairies mock the drunken poet and drive him away. With its quick repartee and its broadly "realistic" portrayal of the poor victim, the Masque of the Drunken Poet is the closest episode in Purcell's London stage works to full-fledged opera as the Italians knew it.http://www.oxfordwesternmusic.com ex. 3-13 Henry Purcell, ''The Fairy Queen'', act 2 masque, Secrecy's song

Act 2

It begins after Oberon has ordered Puck to anoint the eyes of Demetrius with the love-juice. Titania and her fairies merrily revel ("Come all ye songsters of the sky"), and Night ("See, even Night"), Mystery ("Mystery's song"), Secrecy ("One charming night") and Sleep ("Hush, no more, be silent all") lull them asleep and leave them to pleasant dreams.

Act 3

Titania has fallen in love with Bottom (now equipped with his ass' head), much to Oberon's gratification. A Nymph sings of the pleasures and torments of love ("If love's a sweet passion") and after several dances, Titania and Bottom are entertained by the foolish, loving banter of two haymakers, Corydon and Mopsa.

Act 4

It begins after Titania has been freed from her enchantment, commencing with a brief

divertissement ''Divertissement'' (from the French 'diversion' or 'amusement') is used, in a similar sense to the Italian 'divertimento', for a light piece of music for a small group of players, however the French term has additional meanings. During the 17th and ...

to celebrate Oberon's birthday ("Now the Night", and the abovementioned "Let the fifes and the clarions"), but for the most part it is a masque of the god

Phoebus Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label=Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label= ...

("When the cruel winter") and the Four Seasons (Spring; "Thus, the ever grateful spring", Summer; "Here's the Summer", Autumn; "See my many coloured fields", and Winter; "Now Winter comes slowly").

Act 5

After Theseus has been told of the lovers' adventures in the wood, it begins with the goddess Juno singing an

epithalamium An epithalamium (; Latin form of Greek ἐπιθαλάμιον ''epithalamion'' from ἐπί ''epi'' "upon," and θάλαμος ''thalamos'' nuptial chamber) is a poem written specifically for the bride on the way to her marital chamber. This form ...

, "Thrice happy lovers", followed by a woman who sings the well-known "The Plaint" ("O let me weep"). A Chinese man and woman enter singing several songs about the joys of their world. ("Thus, the gloomy world", "Thus happy and free" and "Yes, Xansi"). Two other Chinese women summon Hymen, who sings in praise of married bliss, thus uniting the wedding theme of ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'', with the celebration of William and Mary's anniversary.

Recordings

Audio *

Bruno Maderna Bruno Maderna (21 April 1920 – 13 November 1973) was an Italian conductor and composer. Life Maderna was born Bruno Grossato in Venice but later decided to take the name of his mother, Caterina Carolina Maderna.Interview with Maderna‘s th ...

, (Excerpts) Orchestra dell'Angelicum of Milan, (1 LP) – 1957 – Fonit Angelicum LPA970. This was also the first recording of

Cathy Berberian Catherine Anahid Berberian (July 4, 1925 – March 6, 1983) was an American mezzo-soprano and composer based in Italy. She worked closely with many contemporary avant-garde music composers, including Luciano Berio, Bruno Maderna, John Cage, Henr ...

mentioned on the cover as Catherine Berio. *

Benjamin Britten Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976, aged 63) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, other ...

English Chamber Orchestra The English Chamber Orchestra (ECO) is a British chamber orchestra based in London. The full orchestra regularly plays concerts at Cadogan Hall, and their ensemble performs at Wigmore Hall. The orchestra regularly tours in the UK and internationall ...

Ambrosian Opera Chorus The Ambrosian Singers are an English choral group based in London. History They were founded after World War II in England. One of their co-founders was Denis Stevens (1922–2004), a British musicologist and viola player who joined the BBC Mu ...

, (2 CDs) – 1970 –

Decca Decca may refer to: Music * Decca Records or Decca Music Group, a record label * Decca Gold, a classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group * Decca Broadway, a musical theater record label * Decca Studios, a recording facility in W ...

4685612 *

, The Deller Consort, Stour Music Chorus (2 CDs) – 1972 –

Harmonia Mundi Harmonia Mundi is an independent record label which specializes in classical music, jazz, and world music (on the World Village label). It was founded in France in 1958 and is now a subsidiary of PIAS Entertainment Group. Its Latin name ''harm ...

John Eliot Gardiner Sir John Eliot Gardiner (born 20 April 1943) is an English conductor, particularly known for his performances of the works of Johann Sebastian Bach. Life and career Born in Fontmell Magna, Dorset, son of Rolf Gardiner and Marabel Hodgkin, Ga ...

The English Baroque Soloists The English Baroque Soloists is a chamber orchestra playing on period instruments, formed in 1978 by English conductor Sir John Eliot Gardiner. Its repertoire comprises music from the early Baroque to the Classical period. History The English B ...

The Monteverdi Choir, (2 CDs) – 1982 –

Archiv Produktion Archiv Produktion is a classical music record label of German origin. It originated in 1949 as a classical label for the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft (DGG), and in 1958 Archiv was established as a subsidiary of DGG, specialising in recording ...

419 221–2 * William Christie, Les Arts Florissants (2 CDs) – 1989 –

HMC 90 1308/0 * David van Asch, The Scholars Baroque Ensemble (2 CDs) – 1992 –

Naxos Naxos (; el, Νάξος, ) is a Greek island and the largest of the Cyclades. It was the centre of archaic Cycladic culture. The island is famous as a source of emery, a rock rich in corundum, which until modern times was one of the best ab ...

8.550660-1 * Roger Norrington, The London Classical Players, The Schütz Choir of London (2 CDs) – 1994 –

EMI Classics EMI Classics was a record label founded by Thorn EMI in 1990 to reduce the need to create country-specific packaging and catalogues for internationally distributed classical music releases. After Thorn EMI demerged in 1996, its recorded mus ...

7243 5 55234 2 6 *

Harry Christophers Richard Henry Tudor "Harry" Christophers CBE FRSCM (born 26 December 1953) is an English conductor. Life and career Richard Henry Tudor Christophers was born in Goudhurst, Kent. He was a chorister at Canterbury Cathedral under choirmaster Al ...

The Sixteen The Sixteen are a United Kingdom-based choir and period instrument orchestra; founded by Harry Christophers, they started as an unnamed group of sixteen friends in 1977, giving their first billed concert in 1979. The group performs early Engl ...

, (2 CDs) – 1993 – (Coro COR16005 *

Ton Koopman Antonius Gerhardus Michael Koopman (; born 2 October 1944), known professionally as Ton Koopman, is a Dutch conductor, organist, harpsichordist, and musicologist, primarily known for being the founder and director of the Amsterdam Baroque Orches ...

Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir The Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir is a Dutch early-music group based in Amsterdam. The Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir was created in two stages by the conductor, organist and harpsichordist Ton Koopman. He founded the Amsterdam Baroq ...

, (2 CDs) – 1994 – Erato 98507 * Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Concentus Musicus Wien,

Arnold Schoenberg Chor The Arnold Schoenberg Choir (german: Arnold Schoenberg Chor) is a Viennese/Austrian choir which was founded 1972 by Erwin Ortner, who is still its artistic director. The choir has a high reputation both among conductors and among critics and the ...

(2 CDs) – 1995 – Teldec Classics 4509-97684-2 *Antony Walker, Cantillation, Orchestra of the Antipodes, (2 CDs) – 2005 – ABC Classics ABC4762879 *Christopher Monks,

Armonico Consort Armonico Consort is a British company founded in 2001 by conductor and organist Christopher Monks, which specialises in producing performances of Renaissance and Baroque music. In 2002 the company oversaw the creation of a series of academies desi ...

, (1 CD) – 2006 – Deux-Elles DXL1120 * Ottavio Dantone, Accademia Bizantina & New English Voices, (2 CDs) – 2012 –

Brilliant Classics Brilliant Classics is a classical music label based in the Dutch town of Leeuwarden. It is renowned for releasing super-budget-priced editions on CD of the complete works of J.S. Bach, Mozart, Beethoven and many other composers. The label also ...

94221 *

Paul McCreesh Paul McCreesh (born 24 May 1960) is an English conductor. Paul McCreesh is the founder and artistic director of the Gabrieli Consort & Players. With them he has performed in major concert halls and festivals across the world. He has been the ...

, Gabrieli Consort, (2 CDs) - 2020-

Signum Records Signum Records, also known as Signum Classics, is a classical musical record label in the UK founded in 1997. The label began with a project to make the first recording of the complete works of Thomas Tallis. The artists for the Tallis recordin ...

: SIGCD615 Video *Nicholas Kok,

(stage director),

, (1 DVD) – 1995 – Arthaus Musik 100200 *William Christie, Jonathan Kent (stage director), The Glyndebourne Chorus &

, (2 DVDs) – 2010 – Opus Arte OA1031D *Cathryn Robertson, (director, producer) Ballet B.C. And CBC television. "Inside the Faerie Queene"

References

Notes Sources * Ashman, Mike
"Lost in Music."
''The Guardian'', 7 May 2005 * Breen, Ed
"Purcell: The Fairy Queen"
''Musical Criticism'', July 2009 *

Burden, Michael Michael Burden, FAHA, (born 14 March 1960) is an Australian musicologist, working in the United Kingdom. He was elected a Corresponding Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities in 2018. Life Born in Adelaide, South Australia, he wa ...

. "Casting issues in the original production of Purcell's opera ''The Fairy-Queen'' " ''Music & Letters'' 84/4 (Nov.2003
oxfordjournals.org
(subscription access) *DeMarco, Laura
oxfordjournals.org "The Fact of the Castrato and the Myth of the Countertenor."
''The Musical Quarterly'' 86 (2002), 174–185. (subscription access). An argument against the use of countertenors as castrati replacements, but the relevance to this article comes in the more balanced discussion of countertenors as used by Purcell. * Dent, Edward J. ''Foundations of English Opera'', Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1928. * Holst, Imogen d ''Henry Purcell 1659–1695: Essays on His Music'', Oxford University Press, London, 1959. * Kimberley, Nick
"The Fairy Queen Crass? Vulgar? Magic!"
''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...

'', 21 October 1995 * van Lennep, William et al. ds ''The London Stage'', parts 1 (1965) and 2 (1959), Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale. * Moore, R. E. ''Henry Purcell and the Restoration Theatre'', Greenwood Press, Westport CT, 1961. *Milhous, Judith, "The Multimedia Spectacular on the Restoration Stage", in
British Theatre and the Other Arts, 1660–1800
', ed. Shirley Strum Kenny, Associated University Presses, Cranbury, New Jersey, 1984 * Muller, Frans and Julia
oxfordjournals.org "Completing the picture: the importance of reconstructing early opera"
''Early Music'', vol XXXIII/4 (November 2005). (subscription access). * Price, Curtis A. ''Henry Purcell and the London Stage'',Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1984. * Price, Curtis
grovemusic.com "The Fairy-Queen"
, '' Grove Music Online'', ed. L. Macy (accessed 25 January 2006), (subscription access). * Savage, Roger. "The Shakespeare-Purcell ''Fairy-Queen'': A Defence and Recommendation", ''Early Music'', vol I (1973
oxfordjournals.org
(subscription access). * Savage, Roger. "The Fairy-Queen: an Opera" in ''Henry Purcell's Operas, The Complete Texts'', ed. Michael Burden, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2000. * Shay, Robert, and Robert Thompson. ''Purcell Manuscripts: The Principal Musical Sources'' (Cambridge, 2000). * Steane, J. B
grovemusic.com "Countertenor"
, '' Grove Music Online'', ed. L. Macy (accessed 25 July 2006), (subscription access). * Westrup, Sir Jack and Harrison, F.Ll. ''Collins Encyclopedia of Music'', William Collins Sons & Company, London and Glasgow, 1976, . *White, Michael
"What a drag – it's just not Purcell"
''The Independent on Sunday'', 29 October 1995

External links

A facsimile of the libretto on Early English Books Online
(login required) * Purcell: The Fairy Queen, The Prophetess / Savall, Et Al

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fairy-Queen, The Operas Semi-operas Operas by Henry Purcell 1692 operas English-language operas Operas based on A Midsummer Night's Dream