Camilla Tilling - Purcell: Dido and Aeneas
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Free Music Notes for Purcell: Dido and Aeneas
Free Music Review: a voice teacher and early music fan
Hit: 4 Stars
DOESN'T DIDO EVER GET TIRED OF DYING? BUT SHE DOES IT SO WELL!!
Henry Purcell's 'Dido and Aeneas' was first performed at a girl's school in 1689. The librettist, Nahum Tate, was a playwright and poet with connections at the universities and with writers of educational books and works of moral instruction.
From the moment the overture begins, the opera tells of tragedy and violence. The desertion of Dido by Aeneas and her subsequent death is related in Book IV of Virgil's 'Aenid'. Aeneas's dalliance with Dido distracts him from what ought to be his purpose: the foundation of Rome. He finally sails from Carthage to fulfill his destiny, and by her own hand, Dido dies. Tate represents Aeneas' Roman objective as an illusion, his instructions to embark for Italy as a device by the Sorceress to achieve her malign objective: the destruction of Queen Dido and her Kingdom. Therefore, this is the tragedy of Dido; her feelings, not Aeneas' mechanical obedience to orders (which are false; he is as much mislead as Othello), are what signify.
As to the performance on this disc, I must say that it's got some merit, that being the renditions of Ian Bostridge as Aeneas (actually a very brief part vocally speaking) and David Daniels as the Spirit (an even more brief part). They are both perfect in their performance and I would certainly have wished that they could have had more to sing. I am not endeared by the female voices in their respective roles. To say that they were poor is not true, for they are all skilled singers, but just did not convey to me,personally, what each was all about. Dido (Susan Graham) was not tragic, and Belinda (Camille Tilling) was not empathic. The minor roles were well-done; especially that of the Sorceress (Felicity Palmer) and I've already menioned Bostridge and Daniels (the real stars on this disc).
My Favorite Rendition: The 1992 recording with Bott-Kirkby-Ainsley under the direction of Christopher Hogwood. Just a great listen!!!!!!!
Free Music Review: Rushed rendition, strange guitar dance
Hit: 3 Stars
This is my third Dido and Aeneas recording, and I was struck by how rushed some of the parts are, in particular Belinda's parts. It turns out that this recording is 52:54 long, against EMI's 58:33, for instance. Another disturbing element of this recording is the guitar dance at the end of the first act, which threatens to turn into a Paco de Lucia flamenco.
I do find the chorus in this recording stronger and more nuanced than any other I have heard. I also think the Sorceress is just fine without the usual distortion prescribed for the part.