Customer Reviews

Purcell: Dido and Aeneas

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Dido & Aeneas" is probably Purcell's best-known work (with the possible exception of the rondeau from "Abdelazer") and certainly his most often recorded: off--hand I could probably count at least a dozen different recordings of this miniature masterpiece, and that would probably be only the tip of the iceberg. From the classic, though heavy-handed EMI recording with Flagstad and Schwarzkopf, to Baker's magnificent account on Decca, to the full-chested sound of Troyanos' Queen of Carthage (she recorded it twice), to the vulneralbility of de los Angeles for Barbirolli (EMI), to Norman's luxurious reading for Leppard, to Von Otter's spotless interpretation for Pinnock, and Bott's volatile recording for Hogwood, almost every great dramatic mezzo (or soprano) has tried their hand at this role, usually with grand results. And don't forget Della Jones, Lorraine Hunt, Christie's two recordings, Parrott's two attempts, etc. etc. the list just goes on and on. So with such tough competition, does Haim's new recording for Virgin come up to snuff?
In one word: YES!!!! and then some!
Just when you thought the last word on Purcell's score had been said, comes a new reading that turns everything around and makes us appreciate this great work in a new way, making it as fresh as if it were written yesterday. Emannuelle Haim, whose third disc for Virgin this is, has a firm command of her excellent ensemble "L'Astree" and her love for the music shows. The tempi are brisk and breezy, but never rushed, she supports the singers in all the dramatic moments with heart-breaking accuracy, and she knows just when to throw in a touch or nuance that sheds new light on the music. And the musicians revel under her direction: some of the dance pieces sound almost as if they are being improvised, an astonishing achievment.
All this would be enough to recommend this recording, even if Haim had settled for second-string soloists. But there are no second-string soloists here. Whoever suggested Susan Graham for the leading role was a genius; she is surely one of the great artists of our time, and her feeling for Dido's psyche coupled with her excellent musicianship and fabulous voice combine to bring about one of the greatest interpretations of this role ever recorded. Aeneas is a thankless role, considering that his part is made up almost entirely of recititive, but Ian Bostridge tackles it nobly and brings about a thoughtful and beautiful performance. The supporting cast is superlative as well, including Felicity Palmer's Sorceress and David Daniels as her conjured spirit. David Daniels in a cameo role? Now that's luxury casting!
Up until now, my favorite recording of this work has been Hogwood's, but as that recording is currently unavailable in the US, this is the clear first choice for those wanting a period approach to this score. Buy this now!

Jaw-droppingly good -- a vibrant, intensely theatrical reading of the score with an exemplary cast. The text is wonderfully projected, excellently ACTED & beautifully sung, the orchestral performance (including some breath-taking tempos & apt interpolations) supporting the dramatic structure at every turn. As a performer myself, I appreciated its brilliant, savage, almost rock-and-roll energy -- this is easily my favorite of any of the recordings I've encountered. The entire performance just DANCES! A couple high points for me: The vaguely leering, sly, just plain nasty quality of the chorus and soloists in the first scene as they play pander between the protagonists; the depth, commitment, & fire of Felicity Palmer's Sorceress (for once not a camped-up Cruella DeVil figure), David Daniels' eerie countertenor sprite, and probably the simplest, cleanest, most moving "When I Am Laid..." ever recorded. And did I mention those TEMPOS? But there really ARE no low points here. This is a truly exciting recording.

I am unable to jump on the bandwagon for this recording. It is indeed a must-listen ... fascinating from start to finish, but in the end the effectiveness of the drama is undermined by key choices.

The playing is monstrous in the sense of revelatory ... Haim brings forth accents, rhythms, and textures you didn't know were there. The score is alive with thumping, strumming, and ornament. You really won't want to miss this reading, but for me it's not the one I will return to for the sake of the story. More moving by far is Hogwood's with Bott, Kirkby, Baird (caviar casting as Dido, Belinda and the Second Woman!), Ainsley, Thomas, and Chance. Hogwood's instrumental profile is less robust and deluxe (he uses no winds as Haim and Jacobs do), but the musical lines are more clearly drawn and voices more true to character.

I love Susan Graham, and she certainly does wonders with the music here. Her breath control is enviable, her phrasing gorgeous, her ornamentaiton supple, though her attack less authentic than early music specialists. She wraps the music in velvet tones. But in the final confrontation she is all woman and no queen, which I think undercuts her tragedy: her "away! away!" is more desperate than determined. Her lament, though beautiful, makes less of an impression than most because her timbre is almost completely absorbed in the lower strings. Still, she does her reputation no discredit on this outing.

Aeneas's music lies a shade too low for a tenor, although most performances nowadays go with one. Bostridge's vocal impersonation is interesting but not convincing -- just too fussy for my taste, the word-pointing à la Fischer-Dieskau out of place for such a sparsely drawn role. He blows the one opportunity in this short opera to win sympathy for his character, the soliloquy in Act II after the Spirit's visit. John Mark Ainsley for Hogwood cuts a more honest figure throughout, evincing more feeling in just his melismatic "ah!" than Bostridge in the whole of the passage. The baritone Gerald Finley for Jacobs is better still.

The wayward sisters are not very witch-like in tone -- Felicity Palmer sounds more like a rival than a nemesis, and the witches were so attractive in tone I had to check that they weren't Belinda and 2nd Woman doubling roles! The echo in the echo chorus is barely noticeable. Eschewing the typical caricatures is certainly a valid interpretation, but in this performance where the playing is so strong and even outlandish, this restraint is a bit curious, one token of the dramatic weakness here. All the more bizarre that the "horrid music" that concludes the Echo Dance of the Furies should be teeming with haunted-house effects.

David Daniels certainly adds cachet as the Spirit, but he is less atmospheric than the proper British countertenors Michael Chance for Hogwood and Robin Blaze for Jacobs.

Some of the reasons this recording fails to bring off the drama are suggested above. Because of the boisterous playing, the vocal lines are less exposed and affecting and they fail to up the ante staked by the instrumentalists -- and how could they? Bostridge's overliterate interpretation stunts the drama, too. Vocal repeats by all performers have been carefully ornamented, always beguilingly but in rare cases it poses a distraction; ultimately the virtuosity is one more barrier between listeners and the emotional center of the opera.

Though instrumentally Haim provides atmosphere galore, she neglects similar vocal opportunities. "To the Hills and the Vales" at the end of Act I is just another romp, rather than an invitation. The ominous solo chorale by Belinda in Act II, "Oft she visits this lov'd mountain" is muddied by the oppressive strings. Both Haim and Hogwood seem to use stage machinery for the storm effects (Jacobs opts for recorded nature sounds!), but Hogwood does a better job of integrating it musically and dramatically.

The single most crippling factor dramatically is the obvious choice to have the chorus provide a detached commentary in an oversimplification of its role in Greek tragedy, rather than a sympathetic sounding-board. This detachment is apparent throughout, but never moreso than in the closing chorus, "With drooping wings" sung over Dido's grave. The omission of an instrumental ritornello (or repetition of the chorus as Jacobs offers) only makes the coldness more stark.

The word I keep returning to is drama ... this recording is exciting, incisive, vigorous ... but it fails to deliver the drama of a wronged woman, a betrayed heart, a noble queen, and the forces converging upon her.

Dido and Aeneas is really a rare gem among the Baroque operas. Even if it doesn't offer a great chance to the singers to show off their virtuoso singing in the same way Alcina, Giulio Cesare and many other operas do, it has been sung by many great artists and is still one of the most successful operas from the Baroque era. So, why would so many great singers be interested in singing this brief masterpiece? The answer for that lays in the pure and sincere drama of his music and in the deep and meaningful way Purcell used the English text to its most dramatic effect.

With an amazing cast headed by Susan Graham and Ian Bostridge and the fantastic Baroque expert conductor, Emanuelle Haïm, this recording has really surprised me. With such recordings sung by legends like Flagstad, Baker and Norman, I thought there were just good versions enough. I was wrong! This one impressed me mostly, particularly because of the lively and intelligent conducting and the inspiring atmosphere.

The role of Dido has been a challenge for some of the most legendary voices of the 20th century: Kirsten Flagstad, Janet Baker, Victoria de los Angeles, Jessye Norman and many others. Here Susan Graham joins the intensity of Flagstad, the feminineness of De los Angeles and the technical aplomb of Baker in one of the best interpretations of Dido ever. Her ''Ah! Belinda, I am prest" is an example of velvety singing and perfect breath control. Her final monologue ''When I am laid'' is sung with a tearful and lush tone. I thought her Dido was perfectly accurate, both in her singing and in her dramaticism. Her creamy voice evokes feminineness, sadness and tragedy very properly. This is certainly one of the most amazing Dido you'll ever hear!
Camilla Tilling, unlike many of her predecessors in the role of Belinda, is not a thin-voiced or unexpressive Belinda, but a vivid interpreter with a beautiful and steady tone. The great tenor Ian Bostridge may be an unusual Aeneas. However, his is a flesh-and-blood but nevertheless heroic characterization, and it's sung with a beautiful and darker tone. There's also the luxurious casting of David Daniels as the spirit, and it's no surprise his brief appearence is sung with aplomb and his usual rounded voice. In overall, it seemed everybody in the cast knew this opera isn't about a majestic Queen and an unsensitive Hero. In fact, the extremely human, sentimental melodies of Purcell must be sung with intimacy and feeling.
However, the achievement of this recording wouldn't be complete without the outstanding conducting of Emmanuelle Haïm. Its faster tempo helps us to listen the rich and exotic sounds that Purcell could create with a simple orchestra. Listen to the aria ''Oft she visits'' and compare it with the other versions: here it's lively, dramatic and rich, while in other recordings it may sound too placid. The same happens in all the opera, and you'll be amazed by so many lively rhythms that simply disappear in other recordings

Well, as a great fan of Dido and Aeneas, I wouldn't tell you to own just one version of it, since each recording has its own amazing qualities. However, if you want to know this opera, I'd recommend it as the most enchanting recording ever made! And if you just want to listen to some great singing, then you really need to buy it!

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.

For many years I was perfectly happy with the 1981 Chandos recording of “Dido and Aeneas” by Andrew Parrott and his Taverner Consort and Players. Dido is sung there by the incomparable Emma Kirkby at her most girlish-naïve, Aeneas by bass David Thomas, and the Sorceress by Jantine Noorman. But some time ago, I decided to buy a newer version, and having been enchanted by Emanuelle Haim’s recording of Handel’s “Aci, Galatea e Polifemo” on Virgin Veritas, I opted for her version of “Dido and Aeneas” – a decision which I have not had occasion to regret, for although this may not be a “spectacular” disc (whatever that may mean in this context), it is a splendid recording worth every cent of its price. Immediately, several differences from the Parrott were obvious:

1. The documentation is better. I was always a little disappointed that the accompanying notes of the Parrott disc were so compact and that there was no printed libretto. The Haim on Virgin is much more liberal, with an informative introductory essay, black-and-white photographs of the soloists and a complete libretto in English, French and German.
2. The recorded sound is better. The Parrott disc is not at all bad, but in comparison does show its age somewhat. The Haim disc, recorded at the excellent Arsenal de Metz venue, is ideally present, transparent and spacious. The singers stand out clearly, the accompanying music can be heard in all its fine detail.
3. Susan Graham is a more “adult” Dido than Emma Kirkby, vulnerable in her way, but also with a strong will and determination. In the end, I think I believed her a little more than the childlike-sounding Emma Kirkby. Ms. Graham uses more vibrato, which is probably not historical, but gives her voice a dynamic which the old-school early music experts did not always achieve.
4. For Aeneas, Emanuelle Haim has chosen the world-famous tenor Ian Bostridge instead of a bass. His performance is impeccable, and I enjoyed his singing very much: his inflections are rather more subtle than David Thomas’s, whose somewhat gruff voice is not always pleasing.
5. The sorceress and the witches on the Haim use their normal voices and do not, as on the Parrott disc, resort to distortion to create a “funny” effect. In the end, I found both version equally convincing in their way. Haim has her witches depart in a clap of thunder with lots of weird laughing and “oo-ooh-ing”.

The instruments on both recordings are well done, with Mme. Haim having perhaps the more energetic approach. This is a fine recording which will no doubt do as many years’ good service as the Parrott has done before.

Footnote: Countertenor David Daniels makes a brief appearance as the "Spirit" - and blots his copybook by pronouncing Purcell's English with an American accent ("com-maand" instead of "com-mahnd"). That should have been corrected.

This is a lovely album, an almost flawless jewel with a 24-karat cast. Henry Purcell's only opera, "Dido and Aeneas" has been given the full-blown star treatment here. Musical director and harpsichordist Emmanuelle Haïm expertly directs the period instrument group, Le Concert d'Astrée, which plays a vital role in the vibrancy of a performance that lasts only 53 minutes. Six instruments are used to simulate the large string ensembles used in the numerous previous recordings of this opera - cello, viola da gamba, harpsichord, and most prominently, theorbo, archlute and baroque guitar. Their use in different combinations changes the colors of the piece dramatically in sometimes lightning-fast movements, and they seem to respond perfectly to the singers. Not a second is wasted as the tempos impart a tremendous energy that ideally fits the passion of the story. The plot is drawn from a famous episode in Virgil's epic poem and centers on Dido, Queen of Carthage, who falls in love with Prince Aeneas, lately of the vanquished Troy, who is resting at Carthage on his way to establishing Rome. When three witches (with the help of a spirit disguised as Mercury) decide to undo the lovers purely out of spite, their fate is inevitable. Aeneas abandons Dido and sails for Rome, while a heartbroken Dido kills herself.

Haïm has assembled a dream team of world-class singers to bring this story to vivid life. As Dido, mezzo-soprano Susan Graham brings her full-bodied voice to romantic life gorgeously. She seems less royal and more womanly, and from her pained "Ah! Belinda" onward, the net effect is that she becomes a more empathetic figure to the listener. Soprano Camilla Tilling superbly complements Graham as her handmaiden Belinda. The contrast in their voices is particularly breathtaking. Contralto Felicity Palmer does a nice twitchy turn as the Sorceress. Tenor Ian Bostridge cuts a romantic figure as Aeneas though he does not sound as heroic as one would hope given his change of heart at the end of the story. And in an all-too-brief cameo appearance, countertenor David Daniels makes the most of his 45 seconds as the Spirit, who orders Aeneas to leave Carthage post haste. His voice is as striking as ever. A chorus of fourteen named European Voices provides able support throughout. For those unfamiliar with Purcell's work, this is the ideal introduction as Haïm and company have done a superb job of bringing his opera to life.

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!!!!!!!

From Allmusic.com where it got 4.5/5 for both performance and sound

Wild, passionate, and over in less than an hour, Purcell's Dido and Aeneas is one of the greatest operas ever composed and it has received some of the greatest performances of any opera ever recorded. And while some of them have been sung with more refinement or more fervor, few can match this performance with Susan Graham as Dido and Ian Bostridge as Aeneas for wild passion. Bostridge, always a passionate interpreter, tears into Aeneas with more excitement than he's brought to any other role, filling his Aeneas with strength, dedication, dignity, and overwhelming passion. And Graham, always an ardent and brilliant performer, is more affecting than any Dido since de Los Angeles, filling her Dido with warmth, love, sensuality, and overwhelming passion. The rest of the singers are all excellent, but Felicity Lott is superlative as an uncanny Sorceress and David Daniels is superb as a strange spirit. Emmanuelle Haim directs a dramatic performance from the harpsichord and Le Concert d'Astrée provides a vivid and evocative accompaniment. Virgin's sound is intimate in the intimate sections, huge in the big sections, and incredibly effective. Anyone who loves Dido and Aeneas, or even just great opera, will love this disc.

When a friend recently mentioned how much he'd enjoyed a recent session of Purcell's Dido and Aeneas, I decided to add the album to my MP3 music library. The difficult question was: which version? English, or French? After comparing the English Concert's take with Emmanuelle Haim's sensational performance, however, the choice became clear. Ms. Haim has lifted an opera, often interpreted in a formal and somber way, skyward to the heavens, but replete with conflict and shading that is entirely appropriate to this ancient material. That is, she's created a living and breathing love story with a sonic richness that does full justice to Virgil's art.

Yes, the denouement of the story is a tearjerker, but some say it's better to have loved and lost than to have not loved at all. And you'll love this glorious French rendition; it's a superior effort.

My Titles
Shadow Fields
Snooker Glen
Dasha