Purcell : Dido and Aeneas

HENRY PURCELL (1659-1695)
DIDO & AENEAS

Opera in three acts with a libretto by Nahum Tate, first performed in London in 1689.

Sonya Yoncheva • Halidou Nombre • Sarah Charles • Attila Varga-Tóth

Chœur & Orchestre de l’Opéra Royal
Stefan Plewniak, conductor
Cécile Roussat et Julien Lubek, Director, costumes, choreography, sets and lights.

The English musical Renaissance reached its apogee with Henry Purcell. Inspired by French pomp and Italian melodies, he forged a unique style, blending royal splendour with an authentic British spirit. His masterpiece, Dido and Aeneas, is a timeless lyrical gem, exploring the eternal tragedy of love and abandonment. The majestic Sonya Yoncheva plays Dido, the queen in love betrayed by fate, while Halidou Nombre gives voice to the passions of Aeneas, torn between his love and the call of Rome, who is caught up in an intrigue hatched by dark forces. At the Opéra Royal of Versailles, the music of the Orpheus britannicus resonates with eternal splendour, magnified by the dreamlike staging of Cécile Roussat and Julien Lubek. Their masterful approach, combining mime, dance and acrobatics, transforms every moment into a magical tableau, sublimated by the fervour of the young soloists from the Académie de l’Opéra Royal.

Show recorded by Wahoo on October 19th 2024 at the Royal Opera of Versailles. 

You may find the booklet, available in French and English, by clicking here.

You may find this recording on our online shop by clicking here.