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Staged opera


Dido and Aeneas


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Dido and Aeneas


Ensemble

Les Arts Florissants

Musical direction

William CHRISTIE

Metteur en scène

Blanca LI

Musical direction

William CHRISTIE


Cast

Lea DESANDRE, mezzo-soprano, Dido - (Madrid)
Helen CHARLSTON, mezzo-soprano, Dido - (Compiègne, Versailles)
Kathryn LINDSEY, mezzo-soprano, Dido - (Barcelona)
Renato DOLCINI, baritone, Aeneas / Sorceress
Ana VIEIRA LEITE, soprano, Belinda
Lauren LODGE CAMPBELL, soprano, First Witch - (Madrid, Compiègne)
Maud GNIDZAZ, soprano, First Witch - (Versailles, Barcelona)
Virginie THOMAS, soprano, Second Witch, Second Woman
Jacob LAWRENCE, tenor, Sailor
Michael Loughlin SMITH, tenor, Spirit
Clément DEBIEUVRE, alto - (Madrid, Compiègne, Versailles)
Bastien RIMONDI, alto - (Barcelone)
Victor SICARD, bass - (Madrid, Compiègne)
Padraic ROWAN, bass - (Versailles, Barcelona)
Daniel BRANT, alto
Christophe GAUTIER, bass


Coproduction: Teatros del Canal, Théâtre Impérial de Compiègne, Château de Versailles Spectacles, Gran Teatre del Liceu and Les Arts Florissants.

With the collaboration of Teatro Real Madrid


Program

Henry PURCELL - Dido and Aeneas

Henry PURCELL - Celestial music did the Gods inspire Z. 322

"A musical feast. (...) Christie and his now legendary ensemble present an anthology production." El Pais (Spain)
"William Christie chooses the quest for musical simplicity to allow the drama to emerge on its own in all its sad beauty. After six decades of work on the score, his interpretation today crystallizes the wisdom and good taste that have inhabited him from day one. (...) The result is excellent." ABC Cultura (Spain)
"The opera, in its musical aspect, approached that rare perfection that always runs under the precious and delicate baton of William Christie, a master of the style." Platea Magazine (Spain)

Few baroque operas have had such a destiny, and have aroused so many emotions throughout the centuries. Composed by Purcell - also known as the "Orpheus britannicus" - this absolute masterpiece of English Baroque music tells the story of the sincere but unhappy love affair between Aeneas, the future founder of Rome, and Dido, Queen of Carthage. This myth of ancient inspiration touches in a singular way the specificity of the Baroque: in the opera such as it flourished in the 17th century, it is the scorned woman who takes precedence over the man of action. Dido, the archetype of betrayal in love, inspired more than a hundred lyrical works by Western composers, from Cavalli to Britten. Better than any other, she gives us the opportunity to hear the heart-rending song of a broken soul - as in the sublime final lamento written by Purcell ("When I am laid in earth"), which has now entered the collective imagination of despair.

Very compact in form (less than an hour of music), Dido and Aeneas is an opera of astonishing variety, mixing pastoral, burlesque comedy and tragedy. It is also one of the most beloved works of William Christie and Les Arts Florissants, who have often performed it in concert and whose last version dates back to 2009, with the famous production signed by the British director Deborah Warner.

It is therefore with great anticipation that we await this new Dido and Aeneas, which will be directed by the Madrid-based choreographer Blanca Li. A member of the Académie des Beaux-Arts, Blanca Li is already well acquainted with Les Arts Florissants, with whom she collaborated on Les Indes galantes at the Opéra national de Paris in 2003. This project is also supported by exceptional young soloists: three leading singers, Lea Desandre, Helen Charlston (both former Jardin des Voix laureates) and Kathryn Lindsey, will alternate in the role of Dido, alongside Renato Dolcini (Jardin des Voix 2015) and several leading performers of the new Baroque guard.

One of the highlights of Les Arts Florissants' 2022-23 opera season!

 

A show to watch on YouTube thanks to Opera Vision: 

Previous dates

Season 2022-23

Barcelone / Spain
Teatro del Liceu

  • Thursday, June 22 2023, 7pm
  • Wednesday, June 21 2023, 7pm
  • Tuesday, June 20 2023, 7pm
  • Sunday, June 18 2023, 5pm
  • Saturday, June 17 2023, 7pm

Versailles / France
Opéra Royal

  • Sunday, March 19 2023, 6pm
  • Sunday, March 19 2023, 3pm
  • Saturday, March 18 2023, 9pm
  • Saturday, March 18 2023, 6pm
  • Friday, March 17 2023, 8pm

Compiègne / France
Théâtre Impérial

  • Thursday, February 9 2023, 8.30pm

Madrid / Spain
Teatros del Canal

  • Sunday, January 22 2023, 7pm
  • Saturday, January 21 2023, 8.30pm
  • Friday, January 20 2023, 8.30pm
  • Wednesday, January 18 2023, 8.30pm
  • Tuesday, January 17 2023, 8.30pm

Associated medias

  • Vidéos Vidéos
    8 videos
  • Vidéos Vidéos
    1 albums
  • Vidéos Vidéos
    4 audios
  • Vidéos Vidéos
    1 scores
  • Vidéos Vidéos
    10 texts
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