PURCELL // Strike the Viol by Tim Mead, Les Musiciens de Saint-Julien, François Lazarevitch

Les Musiciens de Saint-Julien, guided by François Lazarevitch’s virtuoso flute, have already led us along the roads of Ireland and Scotland, notably the High Road to Kilkenny (ALPHA 234), a great success in 2016. This time, they venture into England with an essentially secular programme devoted to Henry Purcell (1659-95), varying the mood by alternating between instrumental dances and songs performed by the English countertenor Tim Mead, including ‘O Solitude’ and ‘What power art thou’. While Les Musiciens de Saint-Julien have chosen these celebrated pieces for pleasure above all, with this English programme they also fill in a new piece in their jigsaw map of the United Kingdom. At the same time, they demonstrate the musical porosity of Ireland, Scotland and England – and the atypical colours of the small string ensemble complemented by two flutes, a harp and harpsichord/lute continuo further underline the fact. The common thread, dear to Les Musiciens de Saint-Julien, is that of folk music lying at the heart of art music, in a mixture of origins, practices and repertories. We can easily recognise ‘Scotch and Irish tunes’ that Purcell incorporates in his overtures, jigs, hornpipes and chaconnes. The countertenor Tim Mead punctuates the dances with songs composed for the operatic or dramatic stage or for chamber performance.

Release date → October 12th

[АндрейВейдер-тб]

Purcell...wow
Lully, him, Vivaldi, Rameau forever ❤❤❤

[pakon]

Tim Mead is unbelievable.
By far the best version of this awesome piece.

[robertlabrosse]

Magnifique ! Depuis Alfred Deller, nous avons fait des progrès énormes dans la compréhension et l'interprétation de cette musique ! Bravo Team, bravo aux musiciens de Saint Julien.

[grandbleutrev]

OMG that is SO beautiful! Tim and the Ensemble! Take you to Heaven!!!

[jackieparcell]

Can't help it - I'm back again watching this

[SamPonticelli]

I have listened to this at least 6 times in a row in the last hour. This is no doubt the best version I've listened so far.

[ЛарисаИскрицкая-дп]

Вау!Браво, ну просто блеск!Слушаю нон стоп!Невероятно атмосферно!

[laurent]

The hapiness on their faces is umbelievable. Music is still an universal language.

[philipstapert]

Best performance of "Strike the Viol" ever, and I've listened to a lot of them! Ornamentation is what makes baroque music amazing. I love the dialogue between the strings and the recorders in the ritornello! It's a baroque jam session.

[a.mie.]

That could bring me back to life as a dead person. The kind of beauty, that my heart is yearning for.

[Eve-rb]

I’m obsessed with this video ! Grips me every time ... You can really feel this singer’s passion and the orchestra’s passion .... How heavenly they blend together .... it’s absolutely divine .. They really make history come to life ! We need more people like that !

[pakon]

The viols, the flutes, the harp, Tim Mead... All amazing.
The best version of this piece I've heard so far.
Thank you ❤

[stephen-uvzc]

I love Purcell's music. What a fantastic performance.

[martingennrich]

Kraftvoll, mitreißend und herrlich, nur so kann ich dieses wunderbare Stück beschreiben. So viel Energie und so meisterhaft vorgetragen, ich könnte es immer und immer wieder hören. Tim Mead übertrifft für mich hier auch die stimmliche Leistung des sonst so hervorragenden J.J.Orlinski.
Vielen Dank für diesen Hörgenuss.

[topkho]

Glorious. Tim Mead is just amazing, and the musicians are so passionate and expressive. Best version ever recorded

[ВладимирГрушак-цч]

Слушаю в пятидесятый раз. Осталось тысячу. А потом ещё миллион. Вы лучшие.

[JordanPurcell]

I love seeing the joy on their faces as they play together

[purplesilkcut]

This is by far my favourite rendition of this masterpiece, Tim is perfect on this 💖 Bravo

[mjk]

The best instrumentalists in the world. Tim Mead is shockingly gorgeous. This is it.

[sheibanineda]

My God everything about you Anglo-Saxons is fascinating. Tim Mead just the best and how handsome he is. Thanks to the members of the orchestra. Greetings from Paris.🎉