"Mr. Purcell's" new music for the 1695 revival of Dryden's The Indian Queen is an unqualified delight. The Scholars Baroque Ensemble is a period-performance repertory group that approaches the score with cheerfully infectious enthusiasm. The results are charming. The Indian Queen is Purcell's last theater piece, and whether it was performed before or just after his untimely death at the age of 35 is uncertain. The first performance used his younger brother Daniel's Masque of Hymen as a conclusion; most performances and recordings do the same, and even if Daniel is noticeably the lesser of the two composers, the stylistic "fit" is excellent. Very good sound. --Paul Turok
