Britten Thematic Catalogue

Beta Version

BTC1137 PURCELL: THE FAIRY QUEEN, Z 629

A masque for soloists, SATB chorus and orchestra

Shortened version for concert performance devised by Peter Pears. Edited and realized by Benjamin Britten and Imogen Holst.

Composition date: Jun 1967
Genre: Purcell realization
Text: Anonymous adaptation of Shakespeare's ''A midsummer night's dream''
Performing forces:

2 sops, mez, 2 counter-tens, 2 tens, 2 basses OR 2 sops, mez, counter-ten, ten, bass, chorus (SATB) - 2 fl (=picc), 2 ob, ca, bn - 2 tpt in C - timp - hpd - str

The harpsichord part was realized by Philip Ledger. The flutes and piccolos replace recorders; the cor anglais and bassoon parts and some of the timpani part are editorial.

Duration: 96'

Part I: 28 mins;

Part II: 28 mins;

Part III: 22 mins;

Part IV: 18 mins

Notes

The realizations of 'Dialogue: Coridon and Mopsa' and 'Hark th'echoing air' in this edition of the complete work are not related to the earlier separate realizations. See Henry Purcell: Corydon and Mopsa (Sep 1950) and Henry Purcell: Hark the ech'ing air (Nov 1939).

Movements

  • Part I: Oberon's birthday
  • Part II: Night and silence
  • Part III: The sweet passion
  • Part IV: Epithalamium

All content copyright (C) Britten-Pears Foundation 2012 unless stated. Please note all BTC numbers are provisional at this stage.