Lionel Meunier conducts Purcell's King Arthur

There's no time like the present to rediscover this dramatick opera by Purcell, uncontested master of English Baroque opera! Dramatick is, indeed, the right word to describe this Restoration-era tour de force: joy and sorrow, flames of love and the icy grip of winter all battle it out in the course of the action, enhanced by Purcell's brilliant textures and vocal and instrumental techniques.

Conductor Lionel Meunier expertly leads the Vox Luminis ensemble against a gorgeous backdrop: the spectacular 17th-century Saint Augustine Church in the heart of Antwerp. British actor Simon Robson plays the narrator with brio and charisma, surrounded by the group's superb vocalists and historical instruments. More than just the Arthurian legends, the whole period of the Saxon invasions comes to life in the work, its history and its myths outlined through the opera's melodies, including the hauntingly beautiful "What Power Art Thou?" from the famous "Frost Scene"...