About this edition
Composed in 1692 for a lavish revival of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, Henry Purcell's The Fairy Queen stands among the crowning achievements of English Baroque theatre music. This semi-opera weaves together dazzling masques, dances, and airs of extraordinary invention, showcasing Purcell's gift for vivid orchestral color and dramatic characterization at the height of his creative powers.
This full score reproduces the edition published in The Works of Henry Purcell, Vol. XII (London: Novello, Ewer & Co., 1903), prepared under the auspices of the Purcell Society and edited by the noted English musicologist John South Shedlock. As part of the pioneering complete critical edition of Purcell's works, this volume represents one of the earliest scholarly efforts to establish an authoritative text for The Fairy Queen, and it remained a primary reference for conductors and scholars throughout the twentieth century.
About this edition:
- Full orchestral score, complete work
- Page size: 8.5 x 11 inches
- Reproduced from a historic public domain source
- Published by Purple 4R Publishing
Because this score entered the public domain long ago, we're delighted to bring this classic Purcell Society edition back into print, making it easy and affordable for musicians, students, and scholars to own a beautifully reproduced copy of this landmark English score.
