Henry Purcell (1659-1695) - Dido and Aeneas - Sir Colin Davis - Academy of St Martin in the Fields - John Alldis Choir - Pentatone Remastered Classics PTC 5186230 (2016, originally Philips Classics 1970) Henry Purcell - Dido and Aeneas Sir Colin Davis - Academy of St Martin in the Fields - John Alldis Choir Pentatone Remastered Classics PTC 5186230 | Classical Mch & 2ch Hybrid | DR13 | SACD-rip via Cambridge Audio CXU to iso (2.45 GB) In 2016, multichannel recording is regarded by classical listeners as state of the art, and some of the finest recordings available have been released in the hybrid SACD format. In 1970, quadraphonic recording was the most advanced technology, and Philips was one of the leading labels developing the process, as shown by this historic recording of Henry Purcell's Dido and Aeneas. This early English opera may not seem like a practical demonstration piece for showing off the depth, wide frequency range, and clarity of Philips' quadraphonic recording, or, for that matter, PentaTone's multichannel remastering, considering the rather monochrome sound of strings and continuo. However, Colin Davis and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields delivered Dido and Aeneas with extraordinary energy and precision, and the cast -- featuring Josephine Veasey as Dido, John Shirley-Quirk as Aeneas, and Helen Donath as Belinda -- sang with crisp diction, beautiful tone, and powerful presence. The spaciousness of the recording is most evident whenever the John Alldis Choir enters with its vigorous choruses, and the dramatic contrasts with the soloists highlight the effectiveness of the innovative microphone placement. Newcomers to this opera may skip ahead to Dido's famous aria, When I am laid in earth, but because the opera runs less than an hour, the recording deserves a full hearing to reveal its excellence as a performance and as an important artifact from the early days of audiophile sound. Highly recommended. allmusic.com When Henry Purcell wrote his one and only opera Dido and Aeneas in the second half of the seventeenth century, there was no existing opera tradition in England. With a libretto based on Virgil’s Aeneid and its music stylistically close to and derived from the typically English ‘Masque’ form (a festive courtly entertainment involving music, dancing, singing and acting, within an elaborate stage design) Purcell created a monumental baroque opera. Dido and Aeneas is considered by many to be the most important opera to appear between Claudio Monteverdi’s L'incoronazione di Poppea and W.A. Mozart’s later masterpieces. Still today it is widely performed and its most famous aria ‘When I am lead in earth’ (Dido’s lament) arguably can be counted amongst some of the most famous opera arias ever. On this 1970 multi-channel Philips Classics recording, Dido is interpreted by soprano Josephine Veasey. The Academy of St Martin in the Fields and the John Alldis choir are conducted by Sir Colin Davis. The recording has been remastered in 2015 and is now re-released in PENTATONE’s REMASTERED CLASSICS series, which finally gives it the chance to expose its magnificent sound quality. pentatonemusic.com Tracklist: Dido and Aeneas - An opera in three acts 1. Overture 2:20 Act 1 2. Shake the cloud from off your brow 1:14 3. Ah! Belinda, I am prest with torment 4:53 4. Whence could so much virtue spring? 3:46 5. See, your Royal Guest appears 5:28 Act 2 6. Prelude for the Witches 1:04 7. Wayward sisters 4:38 8. In our deep vaulted cell 2:16 9. Ritornelle – Thanks to these lonesome vales 3:25 10. Oft she visits 2:34 11. Behold, upon my bending spear 1:29 12. Stay Prince 3:31 Act 3 13. Prelude – Come away, fellow sailors 2:30 14. See the flags 3:35 15. Your counsel all is urged in vain 5:26 16. Thy hand Belinda 1:02 17. When I am laid in earth 3:57 18. With dropping wings 4:58 Total playing time 58:20 Musicians: Josephine Veasey, mezzo – Dido Helen Donath, soprano – Belinda John Shirley Quirk, baritone – Aeneas Elizabeth Bainbridge, mezzo – Sorceress Delia Wallis, soprano – Second Woman and First Witch Gillian Knight, soprano – Second Witch Frank Patterson, tenor – Sailor Thomas Allen, baritone – Spirit John Alldis Choir – Courtiers, Witches, and Sailors Kenneth Heath, cello Robin McGee, double-bass John Constable, organ and harpsichord Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Director Sir Neville Marriner / Sir Colin Davis Recorded at Walthamstow Town Hall, London, UK, August 1970 Remastered for Pentatone in Baarn, The Netherlands, November 2015 Checksums: MD5: 0f4021dd9a058a7562a022f1ba808848 *Henry Purcell Dido and Aeneas.iso SFV: Henry Purcell Dido and Aeneas.iso 30BF50F0 https://www.filefactory.com/folder/fb462d03c7daa396 Henry Purcell - Dido and Aeneas - Academy of Saint Martin in the Fields.torrent