Download or read book The Fairy Queen, A Semi-Opera in Five Acts written by Henry Purcell and published by Alfred Music. This book was released on 1999-08-26 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The Fairy Queen" was first performed in 1692, and was repeated in the following year. For the revival in 1693 Purcell added all the music of Act I., and the two songs, "Ye gentle spirits of the air" (No. 24) and "The Plaint" (No. 43). The Opera was adapted from Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream," but Purcell did not set a single line of Shakespeare's play to music. The play was considerably curtailed, many lines altered, and some Scenes rearranged; in this mutilated version it was acted, not sung. At the end of each Act some pretext is found for introducing a musical entertainment which has little or nothing to do with the play. Purcell's music, composed towards the end of his short career, includes some of his best work, and shows strong Italian influence.