As well as being a successful church and court composer, Purcell wrote extensively for the stage, composing several operas, semi -operas and masques. Now Gwilym Beechey has made seven of these fantastic works accessible to theinstrumental player, carefully choosing and arranging a selection of these pieces for descant recorder and keyboard. Included in this edition are dances, airs and jigs from Purcell’s popular opera King Arthur (1691) , andsemi -operas The Fairy Queen (1692) and The Indian Queen (1695) . A Purcell Suite also features one of his most famous pieces, the Rondeau in D minor from the incidental music he wrote for Abdelazer.