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Track(s) taken from CDA66720

How delightful's the life of an innocent swain, Z373

composer
author of text

Susan Gritton (soprano), Michael George (bass), The King's Consort
Recording details: March 1994
Orford Church, Suffolk, United Kingdom
Produced by Ben Turner
Engineered by Philip Hobbs
Release date: May 1994
Total duration: 2 minutes 19 seconds
 

Reviews

‘A treasury of good performances. It could hardly be otherwise with this composer and this roster of singers’ (Fanfare, USA)
This appears in a manuscript collection (British Museum Add. 29397), not in Purcell’s hand, collated from around 1682 to 1690. The text was by Abraham Cowley (1618–1667), the leading English poet of his time who had been responsible for introducing the irregular Pindaric Ode form which was later taken up by Dryden and others. Unlike the two sacred devotional songs of Cowley’s that Purcell set, whose texts were full of destruction and bloodthirsty sentiments, this poem could hardly be more innocent, outlining the carefree existence of a young rustic lover. Purcell’s setting gives the two tuneful verses to a solo soprano, who is joined in the chorus by a bass.

from notes by Robert King © 2003

Other albums featuring this work

Purcell: The complete secular solo songs
CDS44161/33CDs Boxed set (at a special price) — Download only
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