Purcell: Dido and Aeneas

Despite a largely Francophone cast, and Genaux's faint North American accent, the text is brilliantly clear. Ana Quintans's Belinda and Jenny Daviet's Second Woman are brightly characterised...Dumestre... — BBC Music Magazine, August 2015, 4 out of 5 stars More…

Release Date: 16th Mar 2015
Catalogue No: ALPHA706
Label: Alpha

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Purcell: Dido and Aeneas

Vivica Genaux (Dido), Henk Neven (Æneas), Ana Quintans (Belinda) & Marc Mauillon (Sorceress, Marin)
Vincent Dumestre (conductor) & Stéphane Vérité (director)

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Cécile ROUSSAT & Julien LUBEK Staging, Choregraphy, Set, Costumes

Laurent CASTAINGT Lights

After the success of the DVDs devoted to Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme and Cadmus & Hermione, Vincent Dumestre and Le Poème Harmonique continue their exploration of repertoires of the 17th century.

This piece, combining theatre and music, allowed Purcell to achieve his dramatic ideal. In fact, he wrote only a single opera in his short career – he died at the age of 36 –, but with it, he left us a gem of rare beauty and extreme concision. The work’s genius is also due in part to the quality of the libretto, skilfully put together by Nahum Tate.

Cécile Roussat and Julien Lubek, stage directors coming from the arts of the circus and the mime Marceau, had already collaborated with Le Poème Harmonique on the Carnaval Baroque. Here, they combine mime, dance and acrobatics with the music in a moving, magical production.

Reviews

August 2015

Despite a largely Francophone cast, and Genaux's faint North American accent, the text is brilliantly clear. Ana Quintans's Belinda and Jenny Daviet's Second Woman are brightly characterised...Dumestre favours slow tempos in the laments, artfully sustained by Genaux. The final image of the dying queen is stunning.

June 2015

a strongly convincing and stylish performance from the cast led by the dark but clear voiced Vivica Genaux as a handsome, vulnerable Dido...Ana Quintan's Belinda offers bright support, providing, as she should, much of the work's forward energy...sensual richness is also the main virtue of the production.

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