Where the fairies live

The Fairy Queen is not an opera. It is a masque, and proud of it. The success of Italian opera swept away other autochthonous forms of lyrical theatre. However, there was still time for different models to coexist before the Italian format imposed itself on the audience’s taste.

As much, or even more than the singing, what is important in a masque is the dancing, pantomime and recitation: besides an endless number of singers and dancers, this work required 16 spoken parts for its premiere. Here there are no high impact arias for the principal characters. The libretto on which Purcell based himself rewrites the original Shakespeare to draw on the imaginary where the fairies invite us into their world.

The effect of this theatrical hybrid is a continuous and irresistible charm with Les Arts Florissants holding the key. The ensemble of William Christie, led today by Paul Agnew, has guided the public for decades through the twists and turns of this enchanted forest of love, poetry and good humour as it raises the curtain at the Maestranza for the first time. The urban dance of Mourad Merzouki, a gold standard in the world of hip-hop (we recall his Pixel in 2023), brings more than choreography to the Baroque celebration: the constant dialogue between the dancers and musicians, on stage, makes the magic and joy even greater.

Semi-opera with a Prologue and Five acts by Henry Purcell
Anonymous libretto based on A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare
Premiere on 2 May 1692 at the Queen’s Theatre of Dorset Garden of London
For the first time at the Teatro de la Maestranza