Dr Dee#Soundtrack

File:Dee engraving.jpg, 1845]]

Damon Albarn became associated with the Manchester International Festival through a 2006 concert production by his band Gorillaz, Demon Days Live, a 2007 Chinese opera, Monkey: Journey to the West, and a 2009 immersive theatre production, It Felt Like a Kiss, for which he wrote music.{{cite news|last=Morley|first=Paul|authorlink=Paul Morley|title=Gorillaz at the Manchester International Festival|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/3647758/Gorillaz-at-the-Manchester-International-Festival.html|accessdate=16 February 2011|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|date=6 November 2005|location=London}}{{cite book|title=It Felt Like a Kiss (theatre programme)|year=2009|publisher=Manchester International Festival|location=Manchester, UK}}

An opera titled Doctor Dee was originally planned as a collaboration between Albarn, Gorillaz partner Jamie Hewlett and comic book author Alan Moore.{{cite web|title=Gorillaz ditch opera project with Watchman{{'}}s Alan Moore|url=https://www.nme.com/news/gorillaz/51518|work=New Musical Express|accessdate=18 March 2011}} According to Moore, he was approached by Albarn and Hewlett to collaborate on an opera featuring superheroes, but instead he suggested John Dee as a subject. He withdrew from the project when expected contributions from Albarn and Hewlett to his magazine Dodgem Logic failed to materialise.{{cite news|title=Gorillaz and Alan Moore fall out over opera|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/jun/15/gorillaz-alan-moore-opera|work=The Guardian|accessdate=15 June 2010|location=London|first=Sean|last=Michaels|date=15 June 2010}} Moore is credited for "inspiration" in the opera's official programme{{cite web|title=Dr Dee: Damon Albarn's Magickal Mystery Tour Fails To Become Gold|url=http://thequietus.com/articles/06537-dr-dee-damon-albarn-review|work=The Quietus|accessdate=5 July 2011}} and his incomplete libretto was published in Strange Attractor magazine.{{cite web|title=John Dee Opera Goes Ahead|date=17 March 2011|url=http://strangeattractor.co.uk/further/john-dee-opera-goes-ahead/|publisher=Strange Attractor|accessdate=16 October 2011}}

Dr Dee ran from 1 to 9 July 2011 at the Palace Theatre, Manchester. It was commissioned by the Manchester International Festival, English National Opera and the London 2012 Festival.{{cite book|title=Dr Dee Official Programme|year=2011|publisher=Manchester International Festival|location=Manchester, UK}} It was subsequently performed from 26 June to 7 July 2012 at the London Coliseum, as part of the London 2012 Festival.{{cite news|title=Damon Albarn's 'Doctor Dee' to open in London in June 2012|newspaper=NME}}

The opera was scored for a band combining Elizabethan English instruments (viola da gamba, shawm, dulcian, crumhorn, recorder, lute) with the African kora and the distinctive drumming of Nigerian percussionist Tony Allen. Damon Albarn played acoustic guitar and harmonium and sang on a number of songs. A twenty-piece conventional orchestra was provided by the BBC Philharmonic and conducted by André de Ridder.

John Dee, a non-singing part, was played by Bertie Carvel. Dee's wife, Katherine, was played by Anna Dennis. Francis Walsingham was played by Steven Page. Edward Kelley was played by Christopher Robson, whose singing was described as "sublime" by Albarn.{{cite news|last=Christiansen|first=Rupert|authorlink=Rupert Christiansen|title=Damon Albarn interview for Dr Dee opera – Manchester International Festival|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/opera/8606376/Damon-Albarn-interview-for-Dr-Dee-opera-Manchester-International-Festival.html|accessdate=16 October 2011|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|date=29 June 2011}}

The Guardian gave the Manchester production four stars, saying that it "reaches to the heart of the tragedy of an overreaching intellect destroyed by a deal with a second-rate Mephistopheles".{{cite news|last=Hickling|first=Alfred|title=Dr Dee|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/jul/02/dr-dee-opera-manchester-festival|newspaper=The Guardian|accessdate=16 October 2011|date=2 July 2011}} The Independent also awarded four stars, saying that the production was "mostly a triumph, but the opening dumb show and final song don't work".{{cite news|last=Vallely|first=Paul|authorlink=Paul Vallely|title=Dr Dee|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/classical/reviews/dr-dee-manchester-international-festival-palace-theatre-2306953.html|accessdate=16 October 2011|newspaper=The Independent|date=5 July 2011}} Rupert Christiansen in The Daily Telegraph gave the same star-rating, describing the opera as "fresh, original and heartfelt".{{cite news|last=Christiansen|first=Rupert|authorlink=Rupert Christiansen|title=Dr Dee|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/opera/8615177/Dr-Dee-Manchester-International-Festival-review.html|accessdate=16 October 2011|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|date=4 July 2011}} The NME described it as "visually sumptuous and musically haunting".{{cite news|last=Nicolson|first=Barry|title=Damon Albarn And Rufus Norris – Dr Dee|url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/damon-albarn/12210|accessdate=16 October 2011|newspaper=New Musical Express|date=12 July 2011}}

{{Infobox album

| name = Dr Dee

| type = soundtrack

| artist = Damon Albarn

| cover = Damon Albarn - Dr Dee.jpg

| alt = Black and white image of Albarn in front of John Dee House, London

| released = {{Start date|2012|05|07|df=yes}}

| recorded = 2011

| venue =

| studio = *Studio 13, London

• MediaCityUK, Salford

| genre =

• Folk
• Renaissance
• classical
• opera

| length = {{Duration|m=48|s=05}}

| label = Parlophone

| producer = Damon Albarn

| prev_title = Leave-Taking EP

| prev_year = 2012

| next_title = Blur 21

| next_year = 2012

| misc = {{Extra chronology

| artist = Damon Albarn solo

| type = soundtrack

| prev_title = Democrazy

| prev_year = 2003

| title = Dr Dee

| year = 2012

| next_title = Everyday Robots

| next_year = 2014

}}

}}

{{Album reviews

|rev1 = AllMusic

|rev1score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/dr-dee-mw0002339362 |title=Damon Albarn - Dr. Dee review |last=Erlewine |first=Stephen Thomas |authorlink= Stephen Thomas Erlewine |work=AllMusic |publisher=All Media Network |accessdate=2017-07-24 }}

|rev3 = Classic Rock

|rev3score = {{Rating|8|10}}{{cite magazine |title=Damon Albarn - Dr. Dee |magazine=Classic Rock |date=July 2012 |last=Dalton |first=Stephen |issue=172 |page=97}}

| noprose = yes

}}

{{Track listing

| total_length = {{Duration|m=48|s=05}}

| all_writing = Damon Albarn

| title1 = The Golden Dawn || length1 = {{Duration|m=3|s=56}}

| title2 = Apple Carts || length2 = {{Duration|m=2|s=37}}

| title3 = O Spirit, Animate Us || length3 = {{Duration|m=3|s=48}}

| title4 = The Moon Exalted || length4 = {{Duration|m=5|s=43}}

| title5 = A Man of England || length5 = {{Duration|m=3|s=17}}

| title6 = Saturn || length6 = {{Duration|m=2|s=05}}

| title7 = Coronation || length7 = {{Duration|m=1|s=10}}

| title8 = The Marvelous Dream || length8 = {{Duration|m=2|s=23}}

| title9 = A Prayer || length9 = {{Duration|m=1|s=33}}

| title10 = Edward Kelley || length10 = {{Duration|m=3|s=29}}

| title11 = Preparation || length11 = {{Duration|m=3|s=01}}

| title12 = 9 Point Star || length12 = {{Duration|m=1|s=33}}

| title13 = Temptation Comes in the Afternoon || length13 = {{Duration|m=2|s=05}}

| title14 = Watching the Fire that Waltzed Away || length14 = {{Duration|m=2|s=37}}

| title15 = Moon (Interlude) || length15 = {{Duration|m=0|s=29}}

| title16 = Cathedrals || length16 = {{Duration|m=3|s=01}}

| title17 = Tree of Beauty || length17 = {{Duration|m=2|s=00}}

| title18 = The Dancing King || length18 = {{Duration|m=3|s=24}}

}}

{{colbegin|colwidth=30em}}

• Damon Albarn – vocals, harmony vocals, backing vocals, acoustic guitar, producer, artwork

;Production

• Stephen Sedgwick – engineer, recording
• Stephen Rinker – engineer
• Andre De Ridder – conductor
• Valgeir Sigurdsson – mixing
• Alexander Overington – assistant mixing
• Einar Stefannsson – assistant mixing
• Paul Evans – assistant mixing
• Tim Young – mastering

;Additional musicians

• Tony Allen – drums
• Simon Tong – guitar
• Mike Smith – organ
• Arngeir Hauksson – theorbo
• Madou Diabate – kora
• Liam Byrne – viol
• Anne Allen – wind
• Bill Lyons – wind
• David Hatcher – wind
• Anna Dennis – vocals
• Bertie Carvel – vocals
• Christopher Robson – vocals
• Melanie Pappenheim – vocals
• Stephen Page – vocals
• Victoria Couper – vocals
• BBC Philharmonic
• Palace Voices – vocals

;Other personnel

• Stephen Higgins – music supervisor
• Paul Arditti – recording consultant

{{colend}}

{{Reflist}}

• [http://arenapal.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/dr-dee-visionary-new-opera-by-blur.html Production Images]

{{Damon Albarn}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Doctor Dee}}

Category:2011 operas

Category:2012 Cultural Olympiad

Category:English-language operas

Category:John Dee

Category:Operas

Category:Operas by Damon Albarn

Category:Operas set in the 16th century

Category:Operas set in England

Category:Cultural depictions of physicians

Category:Cultural depictions of British people

Category:Operas based on real people

Category:Opera recordings