Purcell: Dido and Aeneas

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William Christie's reading of Dido is very much in terms of the reputed French influence on Purcell. Overdotting, reverse dotting and inégalité are used throughout; the lines are often heavily... — Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010 More…

Release Date: 1st Apr 1995
Catalogue No: 4509984772
Label: Erato
Length: 51 minutes

Purcell: Dido and Aeneas

Work length44:55

$31.20

$40.80

Véronique Gens (soprano), Gaëlle Mechaly (soprano), Jean-Paul Fouchécourt (tenor), Sophie Marin-Degor (soprano), Nathan Berg (baritone), Claire Brua (mezzo-soprano), Sophie Daneman (soprano)
Choeur des Arts Florissants, Les Arts Florissants
William Christie

Overture

Track length1:53

$1.30

$1.70

Act I "Shake the cloud from off your brow" [Belinda, Chorus]

Track length1:03

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Act I "Ah Belinda, I am press'd with torment" [Dido]

Track length3:38

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$1.70

Act I "Grief increases by concealing" [Belinda, Dido] "When monarchs unite, how happy their state" [Chorus]

Track length0:42

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$1.70

Act I "Whence could so much virtue spring?" [Dido, Belinda]

Track length1:54

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Act I "Fear no danger to ensue" [Belinda, Chorus]

Track length1:33

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Act I "See our royal guest appears" [Belinda, Aeneas] "Cupid only throws the dart" [Chorus]

Track length1:10

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Act I "If not for mine, for Empire's sake" [Aeneas] "Pursue thy conquest, Love" [Belinda] "To the hills and the vales" [Chorus]

Track length2:14

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$1.70

Act I "The Triumphing Dance"

Track length1:09

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Act 2 Prelude for the Witches "Wayward sisters, you that fright" [Sorceress] "Harm's our delight" [Chorus]

Track length2:14

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Act 2 "The Queen of Carthage" ... "Ho! ho! ho!" [Sorceress, First Witch, Chorus]

Track length1:53

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Act 2 "But ere we this perform" [First Witch, Second Witch]

Track length1:10

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Act 1 "In our deep vaulted cell... Echo Dance of Furies" [Chorus]

Track length2:22

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Act 2 "Ritornelle" "Thanks to these lonesome vales" [Belinda, Chorus]

Track length3:36

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Act 2 "Oft she visits this lone mountain" [Second Woman]

Track length1:56

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Act 2 "Behold upon my bending spear" [Aeneas, Dido] "Haste, haste to town" [Belinda, Chorus]

Track length1:13

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Act 2 "Stay Prince" [Spirit, Aeneas]

Track length2:04

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Act 2 "Then since our chorus have sped" [Chorus] "The Grove's Dance"

Track length1:24

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Act 3 "Come away" [Sailor, Chorus] "The Sailors' Dance"

Track length2:23

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Act 3 "See, see the flags" [Sorceress, First Witch] "Our next motion" [Sorceress]

Track length1:41

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Act 3 "Destruction's our delight" [Chorus]

Track length0:31

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Act 3 "The Witches' Dance"

Track length1:35

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Act 3 "Your counsel all is urged in vain" [Dido, Belinda, Aeneas]

Track length3:35

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Act 3 "Great minds against themselves conspire" [Chorus] "Thy hand, Belinda" [Dido]

Track length2:02

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Purcell: When I am laid in earth (from Dido and Aeneas)

Work length3:54

$1.30

$1.70

Véronique Gens (soprano)
Les Arts Florissants
William Christie

Purcell: Dido & Aeneas : Act 3 "With drooping wings" [Chorus]

Work length2:42

$1.30

$1.70

Choeur des Arts Florissants, Les Arts Florissants
William Christie

Reviews
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Reviews

2010

William Christie's reading of Dido is very much in terms of the reputed French influence on Purcell. Overdotting, reverse dotting and inégalité are used throughout; the lines are often heavily embellished in the manner of Lully. This is a perfectly justifiable approach to the music, since there's little direct evidence to say exactly how much the French style dominated in England.
This version, with single strings, an excellent small choir and a slightly obtrusive harpsichord, stands well alongside what's available. Apart from a few moments' inattention in Belinda's 'Haste, haste to town', you'd hardly notice that most of the cast are Francophone, except in that Nathan Berg's imposing bass-baritone finds it slightly easier to exploit the colour and the meaning of Aeneas's words. Véronique Gens is a lucid and sensible Dido, partnered by a sprightly Belinda from Sophie Marin-Degor and a good Second Woman from Sophie Daneman. Claire Brua's Sorceress is a splendidly insinuating conception, with a slithering melodic style.
Perhaps the main musical distinction of this version is the way Christie presents the final paragraphs. Up to this point he's taken generally quick speeds, and he runs the final confrontation of Dido and Aeneas at a headlong tempo, which works well. Then he comes almost to a standstill at the moment when Aeneas leaves the stage, choosing an unusually slow speed for the chorus'Great minds against themselves conspire'. This makes way for a dangerously slow Lament,which is heart-stopping, and the final chorus, which is not.

Purcell: Dido and Aeneas

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