Dido & Aeneas

Description

The masterpiece of English opera! It was probably in 1684-85, a year or two after the creation of its obvious model, Venus and Adonis by John Blow, that Purcell composed for King Charles II this Dido and Aeneas which has become a monument of the lyrical stage today. The premature death of the sovereign perhaps explains why it was long believed that the opera was written for the girls' school in Chelsea where it was performed in 1689; be that as it may, the finesse of the construction of Dido and Aeneas highlights Purcell's extraordinary dramatic sense, which transposes into his music the delightful blend of comedy and tragedy characteristic of English theater since the end of the 16th century.