Henry Purcell: Funeral Music for Queen Mary, Scared Music, Dioclesian & Songs

Michael Chance (countertenor) & Andrew Manze (violin)

Florilegium, Clare College Choir Cambridge & Baroque Brass of London

by James Manheim

Compilations are highly useful in understanding the works of the inexhaustibly tuneful British composer Henry Purcell (1659-1695). He had a few big hits, like the Funeral Music for Queen Mary (which is included here) and the opera Dido and Aeneas (which isn't). But much of his best music is scattered around in small bits, residing within genres that are rather odd from today's perspective. Purcell spent much of his short adult life as a theater composer, and his incidental music, for example, is filled with perfect miniatures.

This two-disc set from the indefatigable Dutch authentic-performances label Brilliant Classics is rather mystifying in its selection criteria, however. On the first disc we get a series of single-section sacred pieces plus the Funeral Music for Queen Mary (here titled the "Funeral Sentences," confusing in that the instrumental pieces that go with the three texted Sentences are included as well). The second disc opens with nine songs from various sources, continues with an instrumental Chaconny in G minor, and ends with the odd combination of 15 selections from Purcell's incidental music for the play Dioclesian and one two-minute piece for Shakespeare's Timon of Athens. This is in no way a representative selection of Purcell's theatrical music; he wrote scores for several other plays, and none of the music from his compositions in opera-related genres is included. The Clare College Choir, Cambridge, under Timothy Brown delivers solid, straight-up-the-middle performances of the choral music on the first disc, with the Baroque Brass of London offering fine, somber readings of the Funeral Music's instrumental interludes. The second disc is less successful; sample the singing of countertenor Michael Chance on one of the first nine tracks before buying this, for his is an unusual, rather hooty instrument. The delightfully named ensemble Miscellany likewise has an unusual style; it is tense and restrained in Purcell's little theatrical pieces where most other ensembles play up the kinetic quality of his music. The price is very low, as usual with Brilliant Classics, and you can get some good music for your money. You'll feel better about both Purcell and your finances, however, if you try out some other recordings.