United Kingdom Locke/Banister/Humfrey/Reggio, Purcell: Academy of Ancient Music / Laurence Cummings (director / harpsichord / organ). Milton Court, London, 9.3.2023. (CC)
Locke/Banister/Humfrey/Reggio – Suite from The Tempest (1667)
Purcell – Ode for Saint Cecilia’s Day, Z 328 (1692)
What an enchanting coupling this was. A pity the auditorium wasn’t fuller – within the first half I used to be the one individual in my whole row. As an exemplar of Great British music (because it have been), this was a refreshing change from extra acquainted fare. notably the primary half, an expansive Suite from The Tempest utilizing a textual content by John Dryden and William D’Avenant based mostly on the Shakespeare unique. The play boasted music from 5 composers based mostly in England: Matthew Locke (621/2-77), John Banister (1630-79, former grasp of the King’s violin band), Pelham Humfrey (1647-74, Master of the Children of the Royal Chapel) and Pietro Reggio (1632-85); many of the items within the Suite are by Locke. Laurence Cummings recited passages of textual content to ‘place’ us within the plot.
Matthew Locke’s music is of a surprising degree of invention, as a staging of his Cupid and Death at Versailles in March 2022 by Ensemble Correspondences beneath Sébastien Daucé conclusively proved. The music right here by Locke contains 5 actions: Introduction, Gailliard, Gavot, Saraband and Lilk. The set of three dances that opened the suite (Locke’s Introduction, Gailliard and Gavot) are over nearly as quickly as they start, a dignified Introduction ceding to a perky, dotted-rhythm Galliard and an much more sprightly Gavot.
Fascinating to listen to Pietro Reggio’s ‘Arise, ye subterranean winds’ with its pretty illustration of wretches’ howling (‘There let ‘em howl’ brilliantly invoked by bass Ben Davies). The distinction to the calm of Locke’s ‘Curtain Tune’ might hardly be higher, and the Academy of Ancient Music offered a spot of peace profound earlier than opening out in to extra vigorous rhythm. This is an enchanting, a most modern-sounding motion. If Eloise Irving’s rendition of Banister’s setting of ‘Full Fathom Five’ was a contact over-vibratoed, it couldn’t disguise the eloquence of Banister’s piece, and Irving’s pretty onomatopoeic ‘Ding-dong Bell’ was pure delight. Nice to listen to Locke’s Saraband at a properly danceable tempo, courtly but deep with some gorgeous part-writing; the bracing ‘Lilk,’ the properly playful ‘Rustick Air’ and the rhythmic play of Locke’s Corante offered nice distinction.
The most substantial portion of this Suite was Pelham Humfrey’s ‘The Masque of Neptune’ (generally known as ‘The Masque of Neptune and Amphitrite’). Martha McLorihan’s heat mezzo introduced Amphitrite alive (‘My Lord, Great Neptune, for my sake’), with Ben McKee as her firm-voiced lover, Neptune. Their duet, ‘Be calm, ye Parent of the Floods’. Aeolus, positioned behind the stage, was the nice tenor Christopher Bowen (doing a pleasant melodic imitation of a fanfare on the line ‘Then let your Trumpeters proclaim a Peace’). How lovely, too, the Chorus of Tritons’s ‘Sound a Calm’ earlier than the catchy (and right here rhythmically sprung) ‘Dance of Four Tritons’. The character of Tethys has solely two strains to sing, however they have been brilliantly taken by soprano Jenni Harper.
Locke’s an infection ‘A Martial Jigge’ acted as a pleasant instrumental insert earlier than Humfrey’s setting of ‘Where the Bee Sucks’; Harper it was who sang from the balcony, an ideal vocal leave-taking earlier than the fantastic instrumental counterpoint of Locke’s A Canon 4 in 2 closed the primary half. The impeccable efficiency of this final by the AAM’s musicians exemplified the very good instrumental high quality all through.
The scale of efficiency elevated exponentially for Purcell’s Ode for St Cecilia’s Day, Z 328 of 1692, with the additions of trumpets, drums, recorders, flutes, oboes and a six-part choir with six solo components (and with Cummings now on organ). Taking a textual content by Nicholas Brady, Purcell revels within the descriptions of the assorted devices, from the ‘airy violin’ to the ‘amorous flute’. After a ‘Symphony’ that might maybe have carried somewhat extra pomp, bass Ben Davies’s ‘Hail! Bright Cecilia’ was delivered with authority (and echoed with equal verve by the AAM Chorus). Countertenor Mark Chambers has a stunning voice that complemented Davies’s completely in ‘Hark! Hark! Each tree its silence breaks’. The excessive tenor Edward Ross delivered ‘’Tis Nature’s Voice’ with honeyed legato and an outstanding understanding of Purcell’s use of gesture. Purcell’s harmonies are notably expressive on this part, and the realisation of their Affekt was really touching; how nice the distinction to the refrain, ‘Soul of the World!’.
Two sensible oboes (Leo Duarte and Nicola Barbagli) added color to ‘Thou turn’st this World beneath’, Eloise Irving right here elegant; and what scoring from Purcell for ‘With that sublime Celestial Lay’ (countertenor – Mark Chambers – and two basses – Benjamin Durrant and Ben McKee with organ, certainly celebrating ‘The Noble Organ’). It was Ben Davies’s bass voice that really shone on this efficiency, although, notably in ‘Wondrous Machine!’ with its piping pair of oboes and its energetic bassline, whereas Edward Ross’s mild tenor was good for ‘In vain the am’rous flute’ – how delicate his entries, and the way properly each he and bass Durrant sustained their strains at a dynamic that was certainly sub-pianissimo.
The extra intimate moments of Purcell’s Ode have been merely very good; the general impression although was that extra brilliant celebration within the larger-scored actions would have offered the suitable contrasts. Nowhere was this extra marked than between ‘In vain’ and ‘The Fife and all the Harmony of War’. Christopher Bowen was a nice bass (that is generally heard sung by countertenor).
A uncommon bass duet furnishes the penultimate ‘Let those amongst themselves contest’, carried out with completely equal ease by the 2 Bens of the AAM Choir (Davies and McKee) earlier than the ultimate refrain.
A tremendously pleasing live performance, with, for this author a minimum of, The Tempest because the true triumph.
Colin Clarke