The Enchanted Isle

The Glory of the English Baroque Opera

Henry Purcell (1659–1695)
The Fairy Queen, Dido and Aeneas, The King Arthur (selection)

Georg Friedrich Händel (1685–1759)
arias from Athalia, Semele, Acis and Galathea, Solomon, Joshua
and the selection from Water Music and Royal Fierworks

Olga Pasiecznik – soprano
Hana Blažíková – soprano
Collegium Marianum – orchestra
Jana Semerádová – artistic direction

Monday 6. 8. 2012, 7.30 pm
Pražský hrad, Španělský sál, Praha 1

Great Britain, the largest of the British Islands, used to be the preserve of Baroque music, a Swiftian Laputa buoyed up by mellifluous harmonies. The credit for that belongs above all to “Orpheus britanicus”, Henry Purcell, and “Il caro sassone”, Georg Frederic Handel to whom the programme of the closing performance of the 2012 festival was dedicated. Arias from their operas and oratorios were rendered with breathtaking bravura by Hana Blažíková and Olga Pasiecznik. The ensemble in residence Collegium Marianum supplied instrumental numbers from, for instance, Handel’s Water Music or The Music for the Royal Fireworks.

Supported by the Polish Institute in Prague. In collaboration with the Prague Castle Administration.