Tyrannic Love

Description

Until the end of the 1680s, Henry Purcell composed almost exclusively for the royal court. But when, in 1690, the monarchy decided to give less importance to music, he joined the United Company, a London theater company, and dedicated himself to composing for the troupe's plays. The forms are varied, including operas such as King Arthur (1691), The Fairy Queen (1692), and The Indian Queen (1695), as well as spoken plays enhanced with music, like The Virtuous Wife (1695). Excerpts from these works are presented in Tyrannic Love. Compositions by his colleagues and disciples John Blow, John Eccles, Jeremiah Clarke, and Daniel Purcell complete the program. This recording marks the beginning of the collaboration between Alpha and the ensemble Les Surprises, founded in 2010, which takes its name from Rameau's Les Surprises de l’Amour, their favorite composer. Under the artistic direction of Louis-Noël Bestion de Camboulas, who is also an organist and harpsichordist, Les Surprises bring new interpretations and explore the rich soundscapes of orchestration made possible by the baroque instrumentarium.