Purcell's semi-opera 'King Arthur' is a true gem of the baroque period, with its richly layered plot and colourful characters recounting the birth of the United Kingdom and King Arthur's victory over the Saxons.
With Jean-Charles Dunand as choirmaster, sopranos Clémence Lévy and Aline Rose, and tenor Matthieu Justine perform the duets and trios that are the highlights of this score, where the enchanting rubs shoulders with the fantastic. The chorus, a character in its own right, gives pride of place to the most elegant music written for this English story in which knights and monks move from the delights of the table to the harshness of the cold. The orchestra sets the scene for alternating drama and merriment.

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