Search - Simon Birchall, John Blow, Jeremiah Clarke :: Odes on the Death of Henry Purcell (English Orpheus, Vol 12) /Parley of Instruments * Goodman * Holman

Gives Jeremiah Clarke the Respect He Deserves

Grant Colburn | Green Bay, WI | 03/25/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This CD is worth getting if only for the Ode "Come, Come Along For a Dance and a Song" by Jeremiah Clarke. Yes, THAT Jeremiah Clarke, who wrote the tuneful yet simplistic and overplayed Trumpet Tune and Prince of Denmark's March (both used to be thought by Purcell). Its a small half hour drama which is believed to have been acted out on stage where nymphs and shepherds are happy frolicking and dancing when a messenger comes interrupting them with the new that Henry Purcell has died. From the the mood apruptly shifts into melancholy and sadness climaxing with a remarkable funeral dirge/march with tympani and trumpets tolling out the death nells of funeral bells.



From there the disk continues nicely with highlights including "Yes, Aminta, 'Tis Too True" by Henry Hall, a former pupil of Purcell's. His music has that rough hewn quality of much of the English baroque. Hall was also a poet and provided his own lyrics to his former teacher. The disk ends with John Blow's "Mark How the Lark and Linnet Sing," a great piece of music though this isn't my favorite rendition of it I've heard. The other shorter instrumentals are also quite nice but not particularly memorable.



The Clarke piece however is really spectacular and should be heard by anyone who has an interest in English baroque music, Purcell's Dido and Aeneas or Blow's Venus and Adonis. One would hope that there may be more live performances of this work done some time. It would make a great "second act" to go along with a production of Purcell's opera.



The only negative about this disk is the somewhat ridiculous price which Hyperion seems to believe their records are worth. Luckily it look like there are used CDs out there for those interested."