Greatness ready to explodeLong before West Side Story turned Romeo and Juliet into a spectacular musical, the Bard’s works have been coloured and enriched by all manner of musical devices. From songs-within-the-play to “dances and masques,” his works have been underscored with instruments and voice since their premières ere so long ago. Now there’s a disc whose generous helping of 33 tracks gives a wide-ranging
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appreciation of what might have been heard in the Globe Theatre during Shakespeare’s day. The instrumental bits are by far the highlights and whet the appetite for more from Les Witches (“Fortune my Foe” - Anonymous - is a rollicking combination of a persuasive recorder lead and a harpsichord that knows when to stop), The Baltimore Consort (“Green Garters” stands up well—its energy and verve are infectious and its seamless shifts from duple to triple a constant delight) and Ronn McFarlane’s incredible discretion and care as he utilizes his crystal-clean lute to render such works as Dowland’s “Fortune my Foe” and, unforgettably, “Tarleton’s Resurrection.” Vocally, Julianne Baird’s strident upper range slightly bespoils the verse-rich Greensleeves. On the other hand, tenor Frederick Urrey’s sole contribution, “O Mistress Mine” displays an ideal hue for the texture and mood for all lovers lost (happily, much more of his art can be found on another disc with McFarlane). And for the devil in us all, whether covert (“The Jewes Dawnce”—Shylock unbound), or overt (the pair of “Witches Dances” scraps and howls as the incantations heat up to a boil and take on a decidedly gypsy air) this collection is a must have for those who thrive on lovingly crafted accompaniments that stylistically and sometimes subliminally serve to reinforce the multilayered meanings of timeless art. 
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