Product Details

• Actors: Sarah Connolly, Lucas Meachem, Sara Fulgoni, Christopher Hogwood, Lucy Crowe
• Directors: Wayne McGregor
• Format: Classical, Color, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English (DTS 5.1), English (PCM Stereo)
• Subtitles: Italian, English, German, French, Spanish
• Region: All Regions
• Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: BBC / Opus Arte
• DVD Release Date: November 17, 2009
• Run Time: 72 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B002NUYK92
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #164,182 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Thestar.com, John Terauds, December 8, 2009

The richness of the musical and dramatic material in Henry Purcell's hour-long 1689 opera Dido and Aeneas has inspired directors and opera companies to try all kinds of alternative stagings. Rarely have any been as successful as this mix of ballet and opera conceived by director Wayne McGregor for La Scala in 2006, and recorded in high-definition at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, in April. The music is superb, led by a fabulous performance by English mezzo Sarah Connolly as Dido. Christopher Hogwood crisply leads the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. The action on stage is shadowed by 12 members of the Royal Ballet. Music and movement are always in perfect sync, both emotionally and physically. The sets are minimal, further putting the emphasis on the people. The main extra is a 10-minute interview with the engaging, 39-year-old McGregor, a rare example of a successful dance-opera crossover artist.

Fulvue Drive-in, Nicholas Sheffo, November 2009

Purcell: Dido & Aeneas is directed by Wayne McGregor from Henry Purcell's tale of love versus the powers of evil. A British production in Milan, this is one of the more interesting ballets of modern times I have seen. With its supernatural bent, I am surprised we have not seen someone (hope I am not suggesting a bad idea here) license this and gut it out into a bad horror film, though the romance angle might stop that. Maybe fans of Twilight and New Moon should see this one, especially as it is sung in English as written. The PCM 5.1 mix is really good and extras include a cast gallery, illustrated synopsis and McGregor interview.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A triumph for Covent Garden..., November 22, 2009

By 

Charles G. Johnson "chizzzz" (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Purcell - Dido and Aeneas, Royal Opera House (DVD)

Although I wanted to see Sarah Connolly again after her searing portrayal of Giulio Cesare at Glyndebourne, I really bought this DVD to see baritone hunk Lucas Meacham as Aeneas. He and Mariusz Kwiecien currently share the world's stages as the hottest Don Giovannis, and, with his luminous blue eyes and seductive, lyric baritone, Lucas creates an Aeneas worthy of suicide.

But, this is really Sarah's show, in which she delivers an exquisitely crafted Dido, complete with puffy eyes to emphasize her turmoil. Her final aria "When I am laid in earth" is a thing of uncommon beauty, not only because of the tasteful and welcome ornamentation, but because of a phenomenal commitment to text. There is not one moment throughout her entire performance in the opera that doesn't display the ultimate in poise, talent and concentration.

With the exception of the chief sorceress, the other roles are ideally cast. Belinda (Lucy Crowe) is young, blonde and beautiful, and has a voice to match. The two witches are bound here as siamese twins and bring a bit of humor to the proceedings. So integral and expressive is the chorus that you welcome its every appearance.

The hidden treasure of this production, though, is the dancing. Director Wayne McGregor provides some powerful choreography that bridges the scene changes, comments on the action, and at times just takes your breath away. Members of the Royal Ballet provide the stage with visual electricity, elevating the dramatic experience to a whole new level.

The photos on the DVD box show a minimalist production that makes use of strange, colorless costumes, wide, empty spaces, and drab sets. But, don't be put off by those...what may seem sparing visually actually serves the opera's origins as a modest chamber work. Some color does find its way through, eventually.

Christopher Hogwood and the OAE not only provide ideal accompaniment, but set the tenor for unbridled success.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dido and Aeneas, February 28, 2010

By 

E. Apuzzo (Nashville, TN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Purcell - Dido and Aeneas, Royal Opera House (DVD)

Director and choreographer Wayne McGregor has a very interesting take on this classic Greek story. The story of "Dido and Aeneas" runs the range of emotions: from hesitant and happy to vengeful and desperate. If for some reason Henry Purcell's musical drama is unable to transport you through these feelings, The Royal Ballet provides a visual interpretation that I found very effective. The dances seem more modern than classical ballet, which appealed to me. During "Oft she visits this lone mountain" the dancers are almost doing sign language for a very literal presentation. While on the visual side of things, I must comment on the technical production and staging. The costumes and lighting are very pleasant. I enjoy the color palette used as it allows the colorful emotions to shine through without a distracting light show or costumes. The single spotlights are used sparingly and tastefully each time. The way McGregor chose to stage the chorus was also nice. Too often opera choruses can be staged in a way that pulls attention from the leads. In this case he really sticks to the Greek tragedian way of presenting the chorus. Chorus Master, Stephen Westrop, does a lovely job directing the chorus. The vocal nuance and dynamics are well approached. Lucy Crowe, as Belinda, does a beautiful job on all of the agile passes. At times her dramatic interpretation is a bit campy, but fortunately, that is not the case throughout. Sarah Connolly, as Dido, has such a substantial voice. Her rich and creamy sound is exactly what I want to remember as the piece comes to a close. Overall, the piece is very fluid and well presented.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great performance by leads is overshadowed by other flaws, December 24, 2011

By 

Lawrence A. Enos - See all my reviews

This review is from: Purcell - Dido and Aeneas, Royal Opera House (DVD)

I looked forward to seeing this production, which had so much going for it: Purcell's wonderful music, the usually high production standards of the Royal Opera House, and Christopher Hogwood's wonderful handling of Baroque music. Add to this the fine performances of the leads (Sarah Connolly as Dido and Lucas Meacham as Aeneas), this could have been a 5-star production. But while I didn't mind the somewhat minimalist scenery or the general staging, I found Wayne McGregor's use of the dancers distracting and inappropriate for this classic opera. (Why do modern choreographers have to spoil things with erratic and spastic movements that jar with beautiful music? At times, the dancers seemed to be trying to rid themselves of parasites or insect pests. And while I didn't mind the singers' costumes, the dancers' athletic garb made their presence on stage seem at odds with the music.)

This said, I did enjoy the performances of the orchestra and most of the singers. Connolly's and Meacham's singing and acting were first-rate. Her rendition of Dido's Lament was very moving. And I appreciated Meacham's clear diction. There is nothing more disturbing than listening to an opera in a language I understand (e.g., English) and having to turn on subtitles to understand the words. Unfortunately, not all of the singers were as clear. I did need the subtitles to understand Lucy Crowe (Belinda) and the chorus. Moreover, Crowe's voice seemed a little weak for such an important role. And what appeared to be her attempts to minimize vibrato in her voice--in keeping with PC standards for performing early music--made her voice sound flat at times. Still the sorceresses were very good and the other cast members were fine.

All in all, I enjoyed this production despite its faults. Still, I think it could have been better.