Staging Purcell's Fairy Queen

By Phil Barrett, 12 October 2016

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“the fourth wall had been demolished before it could even be erected”

Reviewed at Barbican Hall, London on 10 October 2016

Purcell, The Fairy Queen (Semi-Staged performance)

Richard Egarr, Director, Harpsichord

Rowan Pierce, Soprano

Mhairi Lawson, Soprano

Iestyn Davies, Countertenor

Charles Daniels, Tenor

Ashley Riches, Bass

Academy of Ancient Music

Choir of the AAM

Timothy West, Spoken word

Cummings and the AAM win ‘Leipzig's Got Talent’

Nick Boston, 16th April

The Academy of Ancient Music poses the question what might have been in Leipzig with stunning performances of Bach and his competitors to be the new Thomaskantor.

*****

Freudian slip: Handel’s Tamerlano recast as Trumpian tantrums

Mark Pullinger, 26th March

Opha Phelan’s staging presents the action as a grand, Freudian social experiment. It’s a risk – but the production is lifted by outstanding performances from the cast and the Academy of Ancient Music.

***11

Ed Lyon excels in Monteverdi’s Songs of Love and War

Stephen Pritchard, 12th February

Tenor Ed Lyon fulfils a long-held ambition to sing Monteverdi's Eighth Book of Madrigals, conducted by his former teacher, Laurence Cummings at Milton Court.

*****

Strong team for a Good Friday St John Passion

Roy Westbrook, 18th April

The greatest music of the 18th century – no arguments, please – is given a fine reading at London's Barbican.

****1

Academy of Ancient Music delivers a majestic Messiah

Charlotte Gardner, 16th December

Laurence Cummings and the AAM serve up Messiah-shaped serenity at the Barbican.

****1

Actéon and Pygmalion: three transformations for the price of two

Roy Westbrook, 9th October

Ovid’s Metamorphoses makes an ideal curtain-raiser to the Academy of Ancient Music's new season, with works by Charpentier and Rameau conducted by Laurence Cummings... who also sings!

****1

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Phil Barrett

Phil is a radio professional working on content for BBC Radio 3 at Somethin' Else Productions and is also the presenter and producer of ‘Classical Cambridge’ on Cambridge 105. With a particular passion for Baroque music & Lieder, he can usually be found at the Wigmore Hall taking full advantage of their generous under-25s scheme. He is also committed to changing attitudes towards modern and contemporary music and hopes to champion young composers. He blogs at philbarrettlistens.wordpress.com

Staging Purcell's Fairy Queen: an ingenious solution at the Barbican