Annotation

SECOND SCENE
The Wood

Arthur, having first been warned by Merlin that everything he sees is illusion, is left alone in the wood under the watchful eye of Philidel, who can reveal any evil spirits with a wave of Merlin's wand. Arthur is amazed that instead of the horrors and dangers he had expected, he hears soft music and sees a golden bridge spanning a silver stream. Though suspecting a trap, he approaches the bridge. Two sirens naked to the waist, emerge, begging him to lay aside his sword and join them.

TWO SIRENS (sopranos)
Two daughters of this aged stream are we,
And both our sea-green locks have comb'd for ye.
Come bathe with us an hour or two;
Come naked in, for we are so.
What danger from a naked foe?
Come bathe with us, come bathe, and share
What pleasures in the floods appear.
We'll beat the waters till they bound
And circle round, and circle round.

Though sorely tempted, Arthur resists and presses on.As he is going forward, nymphs and sylvans come out from behind the trees. Dance with song, all with branches in their bands.

Annotation last modified on 2024-09-26 06:18 UTC.

Relationships

composer:Henry Purcell (Baroque composer)
librettist:John Dryden (English poet)
part of:King Arthur, Z. 628: Act IV (order: 2)

Recordings

DateTitleAttributesArtistLength
recordings
1974-11-01 – 1974-11-03Two Daughters of This Aged StreamKerstin Meyer, Elisabeth Söderström, Jan Eyron2:10
1978-10King Arthur: Act IV, Scene. 2: Syrens: "Two Daughters"Honor Sheppard, Jean Knibbs1:50
1983-01-10 – 1983-01-27King Arthur, Z. 628: Act IV. “Two daughters of this aged stream”Gillian Fisher, Jennifer Smith, English Baroque Soloists, John Eliot Gardiner2:43
1991-06King Arthur: Act IV. “Two daughters of this aged stream”Julia Gooding, Linda Perillo, The English Concert, Trevor Pinnock3:07
1995-02King Arthur: Act IV. "Two daughters of this aged stream are we"Claron McFadden, Sandrine Piau, Les Arts Florissants2:31
2003-10King Arthur, Z. 628: Act IV. “Two daughters of this aged stream”Le Concert Spirituel, Hervé Niquet1:59
2012King Arthur: "Two Daughters Of This Aged Stream"BarokOpera Amsterdam, Frédérique Chauvet2:39
2018-01King Arthur, Z. 628: Act IV. “Two daughters of this aged stream”Stefanie True, Zsuzsi Tóth, Vox Luminis2:07
King Arthur: 1. "Two Daughters of this Aged Stream"Jennifer Driscoll-Holmes, Carolyn Maia, Orchestra Seattle, George Shangrow?:??
Two Daughters of This Aged StreamAnna Prohaska, Eric Schneider2:10