HENRY PURCELL (1659-1695): King Arthur.
Catalogue Number: 01L019
Label: Glossa
Reference: GVD 921619
Format: DVD
Price: $39.98
Description: For its first DVD release Glossa has chosen a veritable spectacular, combining the strong creative ideas represented by one of its established artistic teams in Hervé Niquet and Le Concert Spirituel, the fabulously funny and hugely-successful French comedy duo of Shirley and Dino, a director (Olivier Simonnet) with proven experience in baroque music and a masterpiece of an operatic score. Niquet, who had already recorded King Arthur for Glossa, imagined quite a different approach - a divertissement interspersed with intermèdes, while retaining the entirety of Purcell's score. The new plot with its series of individual scenes allows for the role of Arthur himself as well as comic sketches starring Shirley and Dino and other members of the cast. The production was staged and recorded in March 2009 at the Opéra de Montpellier. Ana Maria Labin, Chantal Santon-Jeffery (sopranos), Mathias Vidal (countertenor), Marc Mauillon (tenor), João Fernandes (bass), Chorus and Orchestra of Concert Spirituel; Hervé Niquet. 16:9 widescreen. NTSC region 0. PCM digital stereo or DTS 5.0 Surround. 112 min.