Gdańsk Shakespeare Theatre

Henry Purcell

Dido and Aeneas, Z. 626

Concert Version

Period Instrument Orchestra Musicae Antiquae Collegium Varsoviense
Musicae Antiquae Collegium Varsoviense (MACV)

Conductor | Dirk Vermeulen

An Ever-Living Story

Roger North, Attorney General at the court of James II Stuart and great advocate of Henry Purcell’s genius, dubbed this composer Orpheus Britannicus, recognizing him as a man who turned everything he touched in music into a perfect fruit of his genius. Listening to Dido and Aeneas, the most perfect fruit of the composer’s talent, it is impossible to disagree with this statement. It is no surprise that Purcell is credited as the foremost figure in British music. Born in 1659, he was for centuries regarded as the most important English composer. No one else, like him, captivated audiences with operatic art and songs. At the age of ten, he wrote an ode in honor of the king’s birthday, at a time when he had just begun his musical education at Westminster School, which culminated in his appointment as Westminster organist in 1679 (following John Blow – Purcell’s mentor). From then on, the composer’s activity developed on two fronts. On one hand, he devoted himself to sacred music, often connected to court ceremonies. As he stated himself, Christ became his unshakable foundation. On the other hand, an invisible force constantly drew him toward opera. This “disease” – a love of opera – made him, as he claimed, seem to have the gift of floating in the air. One might say this artistic path resembled a sine wave, but over time Purcell increasingly focused on stage works. Both his contemporaries and later scholars unanimously emphasize his great gift for finding melodies in the verses of poetry and drama, which made him set them to music so naturally as if they had always been woven from letters directly onto the staff. Dido and Aeneas is considered the only fully baroque opera by this composer focused solely on music, since in his other works spoken word blends equally with vocal-instrumental music. But why be surprised, when the composer himself said: “Music and poetry have always been considered sisters who walk arm in arm supporting each other. Just as poetry is the harmony of words, so music is the harmony of notes; and just as poetry rises above prose and oratorio, so music is the exaltation of poetry. Both can stand out, but they are certainly most perfect when balanced and coherent, because then nothing tries to outshine either of their perfections.” This three-act, extremely concise work was probably first performed on April 11, 1689, at the Boarding School for Girls (London) with Purcell playing the harpsichord. It is believed that after his great reception at the royal court, Purcell created Dido and Aeneas for Charles II, King of England, Scotland and Ireland, but the king died prematurely and never heard the work. Eventually, it graced the coronation of William III of Orange and Mary II Stuart. The work itself, based on Nahum Tate’s libretto, evokes Virgil’s Aeneid (Book IV), specifically the tragic love of the title characters. How inspiring this passage is can be seen from the fact that classical painting refers to this love and Dido’s death after Aeneas’s departure, and Hector Berlioz recalls it in the five-act opera Les Troyens (1858). Popular culture has also skillfully appropriated much from Purcell. For example, phrases from Music for the Funeral of Queen Mary in the electronic transcription by three-time Grammy winner Wendy Carlos were used in the soundtrack of Stanley Kubrick’s film A Clockwork Orange. A true renaissance of the work’s popularity took place at the end of the first decade of the 21st century, connected with Purcell’s 350th birthday anniversary, when the work was presented on many prestigious stages worldwide. It was often adapted with modernized plots, accompanied by animation or contemporary dance. This time, the work will be presented to music lovers at the Warsaw Chamber Opera, proving that even after more than 300 years, this music still pulses with life, inspiring new generations of artists.

Piotr Iwicki