FANTASY in BLUE PURCELL & GERSHWIN Rinat Shaham, mezzo-soprano Fuoco e Cenere Jay Bernfeld - direction ACD2 2253 … Purcell and Gershwin? At first it seemed like the type of clumsy pianotop cohabitation that keeps plaster busts of Mozart in eternally uneasy company with plaster Tchaikovskys, but my 3 a.m. state of mind had already begun searching the parallels between the two: I had already picked up on the similarity in their melodic and harmonic styles (both were renowned for their harmonic daring though separated by hundreds of years!).   Justly famous for their brilliant theater music, both composers found greater satisfaction in their “serious” work.   Each left one landmark opera — …   1. Summertime (George Gershwin, 1898-1937)     2:24   2. "Cold Song" (Henry Purcell, 1659-1695)     2:27   3. Hornpipe (Henry Purcell)*     1:11   4. Bess, you is my woman (George Gershwin)*     4:04   5. Someone to watch over me (George Gershwin)     3:29   6. Fantasy 5 (Henry Purcell)*     2:47   7. Prelude I (George Gershwin)*     1:40   8. Strike the Viol (Henry Purcell)     2:44   9. Round-O (Henry Purcell)*     1:11 10. Embraceable you (George Gershwin)     2:45 11. How blest are shepherds (Henry Purcell)*     1:36 12. But Not For Me (George Gershwin)     3:20 13. Ground (William Croft, 1678-1727)*     2:33 14. Oft she visits (Henry Purcell)     2:20 15. Sweet and low down (George Gershwin)*     1:31 16. A foggy day (George Gershwin)     3:23 17. Impromptu (George Gershwin)*     1:21 18. Chaconny (Henry Purcell)*     3:56 19. Three Waltzes in C (George Gershwin)*     2:59 20. My man's gone now (George Gershwin)     3:16 21. Prelude II (George Gershwin)*     3:26 22. Dido's Lament (Henry Purcell)     2:57       * Instrumental       Arrangements - Jay Bernfeld ATMA Classique is distributed in Australia by Rockian Trading PO Box 44, Briar Hill, Vic, 3088, Australia Telephone +61 (0)3 9432 4149 ~ Facsimile +61 (0)3 9444 6879