The Indian Queen

Last night we went to Jordan Hall to see the Handel & Haydn Society do Purcell’s The Indian Queen.

Here they are getting set up between the preconcert talk and the concert.

Before the main event, they did some short, funny pieces by Purcell, including the drunken poet scene from The Fairy Queen, and the frost scene from King Arthur. The frost scene was particularly appropriate last night, and Jonathan Best did a great job of singing it with a aching shiver in his voice.

The Indian Queen was Purcell’s last opera. It was actually completed by his brother Daniel after his death. The H&H just did the music without the actual play, which is a mildly incoherent piece about Incas and Aztecs. The music is really wonderful though, and the H&H really did it justice. In addition to all of their wonderful instruments (we even got to hear the Jordan Hall organ in the last act), this was an opportunity for the H&H chorus to shine. The singers were really wonderful.

The H&H is one of the great Boston institutions. We’re really lucky to have them.