DOROTHEE MIELDS, STEFAN TEMMINGH & CAPRICORNUS CONSORT BASEL — Pills to Purge Melancholy: Music by Henry Purcell

In the early 18th century, a collection of songs and arias by Henry Purcell and others was published in London under the title Pills to Purge Melancholy. Soprano Dorothee Mields and recorder virtuoso Stefan Temmingh agree that the English composer’s music is indeed an excellent remedy for mournful thoughts, as it confronts our ears and eyes with complex emotions in perfect honesty. At the Pierre Boulez Saal, the two artists are joined by the Capricornus Consort Basel to perform excerpts from some of Purcell’s most celebrated stage works.