A semi-opera in five acts with music by Henry Purcell and a libretto by John Dryden. It was first performed at the Queen’s Theatre, Dorset Garden, London, in late May or early June 1691.
The plot is based on the battles between King Arthur’s Britons and the Saxons, rather than the legends of Camelot(although Merlin does make an appearance). It is a Restoration spectacular, including such supernatural characters as Cupid and Venus plus references to the Germanic gods of the Saxons, Woden, Thor, and Freya. The tale centres on Arthur’s endeavours to recover his fiancée, the blind Cornish Princess Emmeline, who has been abducted by his arch-enemy, the Saxon King Oswald of Kent.
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¤ Highlights
◊ ‘Come If You Dare’ ↓ [Symphony – Act I]
Salzburg Festival 2004, Michael Schade (tenor) – conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Tenor
«come if you dare», our trumpets sound.
«Come if you dare», the foes rebound.
«We come, we come, we come, we come»,
Says the double beat of the thund’ring drum.
Chorus
«Come if you dare», our trumpets sound?
Tenor
Now they charge on amain,
Now they rally again.
The Gods from above the mad labour behold,
And pity mankind that will perish for gold.
Chorus
Now they charge on amain?
Tenor
The fainting Saxons quit their ground,
Their trumpets languish in their sound,
They fly, they fly, they fly, they fly,
«Victoria», the bold Britons cry.
Chorus
The fainting Saxons quit their ground?
Tenor
Now the victory’s won,
To the plunder we run,
We return to our lasses like fortunate traders,
Triumphant with spoils of the vainquishe’d invaders.
Chorus
Now the victory’s won?
◊ ‘How blest are shepherds’ ↓ (from Act II)
The Deller Consort ↑ dir, Alfred Deller
One Shepherd
How blest are shepherds, how happy their lasses,
While drums and trumpets are sounding alarms!
Over our lowly sheds all the storm passes,
And when we die ‘tis in each other’s arms,
All the day on our herds and flocks employing,
All the night on our flutes and in enjoying.
Chorus
How blest are shepherds, how happy their lasses?
One Shepherd
Bright nymphs of Britain with graces attended,
Let not your days without pleasure expire.
Honour’s but empty, and when youth is ended,
All men will praise you but none will desire.
Let not youth fly away without contenting;
Age will come time enough for your repenting.
Chorus
Bright nymphs of Britain with graces attended?
Two Shepherdesses
Shepherd, shepherd, leave decoying:
Pipes are sweet on summer’s day,
But a little after toying,
Women have the shot to pay.
Here are marriage-vows for signing:
Set their marks that cannot write,
After that, without repining,
Play, and welcome, day and night.
Chorus of Shepherds
Come, Shepherds, lead up a lively measure;
The cares of wedlock are cares of pleasure:
But whether marriage brings joy or sorrow,
Make sure of this day and hang tomorrow.
◊ ‘Shepherd, leave decoying…’ ↓ [Act II]
Two Shepherdesses
Shepherd, shepherd, leave decoying:
Pipes are sweet on summer’s day,
But a little after toying,
Women have the shot to pay.
Here are marriage-vows for signing:
Set their marks that cannot write,
After that, without repining,
Play, and welcome, day and night.
◊ ◊ ‘What Power Art Thou’ (The Cold Genius) ↓ [Act III]
The bass/baritone is Petteri Salomaa, a Finn. His aria is on a recording of «King Arthur» by William Christie and «Les Arts Florrisants», made in 1995 and available since.
Cold Genius
What power art thou, who from below
Hast made me rise unwillingly and slow
From beds of everlasting snow?
See’st thou not how stiff and wondrous old
Far unfit to bear the bitter cold,
I can scarcely move or draw my breath?
Let me, let me freeze again to death.
Cupid
Thou doting fool, forbear, forbear!
What dost thou mean by freezing here?
At Love’s appearing,
All the sky clearing,
The stormy winds their fury spare.
Thou doting fool, forbear, forbear!
What dost thou mean by freezing here?
Winter subduing,
And Spring renewing,
My beams create a more glorious year.
Cold Genius
Great Love, I know thee now:
Eldest of the gods art thou.
Heav’n and earth by thee were made.
Human nature is thy creature.
Ev’rywhere thou art obey’d.
Cupid
No part of my dominion shall be waste:
To spread my sway and sing my praise,
E’en here, e’en here I will a people raise
Of kind embracing lovers and embrac’d.
Chorus of Cold People
See, see, we assemble
Thy revels to hold,
Tho’ quiv’ring with cold,
We chatter and tremble.
Cupid
‘Tis I, ‘tis I that have warm’d ye.
In spite of cold weather
I’ve brought ye together.
Chorus
‘Tis Love that has warm’d us?
Cupid & Genius
Sound a parley, ye fair, and surrender.
Set yourselves and your lovers at ease.
He’s a grateful offender
Who pleasure dare seize:
But the whining pretender
Is sure to displease.
Sound a parley?
Since the fruit of desire is possessing,
‘Tis unmanly to sigh and complain.
When we kneel for redressing,
We move your disdain.
Love was made for a blessing
And not for a pain.
Chorus
‘Tis Love that has warm’d us?
◊ Passacaglia ↓ [from Act IV]
An astonishing performance by the English Concert and Choir, conducted from the harpsichord by Trevor Pinnock, shining with emotional and technical perfection.
«How happy the lover»
TENOR I
How happy the lover,
How easy his chain!
How sweet to discover
He sighs not in vain.
CHORUS
How happy the lover, etc.
Ritornello
SYLVAN & NYMPH
For love ev’ry creature
Is form’d by his nature.
No joys are above
The pleasures of love.
CHORUS
No joys are above.
The pleasures of love.
THREE NYMPHS
In vain are our graces,
In vain are your eyes.
In vain are our graces
If love you despise.
When age furrows faces,
‘Tis too late to be wise.
THREE SYLVANS
Then use the sweet blessing
While now in possessing.
No joys are above
The pleasures of love.
THREE NYMPHS
No joys are above
The pleasures of love.
CHORUS
No joys are above
The pleasures of love.
◊ ‘Your hay it is Mow’d and your Corn is Reap’d’ ↓ [Act V]
English Baroque Soloists – Monteverdi Choir – John Eliot Gardiner, cond.
Comus
Your hay it is mow’d and your corn is reap’d,
Your barns will be full and your hovels heap’d.
Come, boys, come,
And merrily roar out our harvest home.
Chorus
Come, boys, come,
And merrily roar out our harvest home.
Comus
We’ve cheated the parson, we’ll cheat him again,
For why shou’d a blockhead have one in ten?
One in ten, one in ten?
All
One in ten, one in ten,
For why shou’d a blockhead have one in ten?
Comus
For prating so long, like a book-learn’d sot,
Till pudding and dumpling are burnt to pot;
Burnt to pot, burnt to pot?
All
Burnt to pot, burnt to pot,
Till pudding and dumpling are burnt to pot.
Comus
We’ll toss off our ale till we cannot stand;
And heigh for the honour of old England;
Old England, old England?
All
Old England, old England,
And heigh for the honour of old England.
◊ ‘Fairest Isle, all isles excelling…’ ↓ [from Act V]
Venus
Fairest Isle, all isles excelling,
Seat of pleasure and of love,
Venus here will choose her dwelling,
And forsake her Cyprian grove.
Cupid from his fav’rite nation
Care and envy will remove;
Jealousy that poisons passion,
And despair that dies for love.
Gentle murmurs, sweet complaining,
Sighs that blow the fire of love,
Soft repulses, kind disdaining,
Shall be all the pains you prove.
Ev’ry swain shall pay his duty,
Grateful ev’ry nymph shall prove;
And as these excel in beauty,
Those shall be renown’d for love.
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