Fairest Isle – Royal Academy of Music, London

About this event

Purcell’s enchanting King Arthur is a semi-opera on a grand scale, following pagan Saxons, victorious Britons and flirtatious nymphs and shepherds, with scenes ranging from frozen terrains to lively woodlands. Across these vivid landscapes Purcell weaves together French, Italian and English influences to create music full of energy, movement and sensuality, all within a masque celebrating the rise of Britannia. A suitably kaleidoscopic palette of instruments, from victorious trumpets to languorous recorders, come together in this contrasting and celebratory performance.

Cast & creative

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  Stage director

  Laurence Cummings
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  Composer

  Henry Purcell
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  Librettist

  John Dryden