Henry Purcell - Dido & Aeneas - William Christie, Les Arts Florissants (2010)
Henry Purcell - Dido & Aeneas - William Christie, Les Arts Florissants (2010)
Full BluRay 1:1 | BDMV | 1080i MPEG-4 AVC @ 21882 kbps; 29,970 fps | 01:06:15 | 17.13 GB
Audio1: Occitan DTS-HD MA 5.1 / 48 kHz / 2213 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit)
Audio2: English LPCM 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1536 kbps / 16-bit
Genre: Classical | Subtitles: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish
Full BluRay 1:1 | BDMV | 1080i MPEG-4 AVC @ 21882 kbps; 29,970 fps | 01:06:15 | 17.13 GB
Audio1: Occitan DTS-HD MA 5.1 / 48 kHz / 2213 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit)
Audio2: English LPCM 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1536 kbps / 16-bit
Genre: Classical | Subtitles: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish
From the beginning performance, when we see the prologue spoken by Fiona Shaw linking together several myths of ancient Greece with so much wit and panache, we realize that we will have a great artistic experience through the entire show. The little children are nothing more, nothing less, what Purcell had in mind when he composed the opera to be performed at the Josias Priest's girls' school in London in 1688. They do not harm the performance; on the contrary, they add commedy, drama, pathos when and wherever is needed.
The singers are for the most part outstanding and very aware of the baroqque style of singing (little vibrato in the voice and no trills). The short and thankless part of Aeneas is taken by Christopher Maltman, who rally looks like he is in love with Dido and annoyed by being a pawn of the gods and sings with conviction. And the Dido of Malena Erman is superb! William Chritie and his Les Arts Florissants are nothing short of magnificent.
Composer: Henry Purcell
Performer: Ana Quintans, Hilary Summers, Lina Markeby, Celine Ricci, …
Conductor: William Christie
Orchestra/Ensemble: Les Arts Florissants
More Information
When going to the opera, nothing of course beats a live performance in a house, but perhaps the next best thing would be a good DVD that is more of a film than an attempt to position a camera out in the audience and go to it. This latest release from FRA Musica’s Opéra Comique label is a made-for-screen adaptation by stage director Deborah Warner and François Roussillon of Netherlands Opera’s Viennese festival production. If that is a mouthful, then one ought to realize the collaborative efforts that draw a fine line between the two venues, stage and screen, that result in a very nice show that one can watch in the comfort of his own home. I am, of course, digressing, but this adaptation of Purcell’s much-performed girls’ school piece from 1689 comes off well in this DVD version, with sets that are flexible but not intrusive, a host of extras (including schoolkids traipsing all over the set), and a performance with the rigor and finesse of William Christie’s justly famed band and choir. Is it modern dress? Yes. Is it “period” dress? Yes. The blend of both worlds, however, is not disturbing in the slightest. It is the work that counts, and all of the peripherals, sets, costumes, action, and music come together in a nice little package to provide an hour’s entertainment.
Of course, the prologue inserted has nothing at all to do with Purcell, since the original music has been lost. Instead, film actress Fiona Shaw (of Harry Potter fame) indulges in a cobbled-together text from Ovid, Eliot, and Yeats, interspersing them within Tate’s original words. It is entertaining, though there is a momentary qualm as Shaw emerges from the bead curtain in jeans and what looks like a tank top/camisole ensemble. One might get the impression that this is yet another modern dress staging, but when the main cast members arrive, they are in ladies’ dresses appropriate to the mid Baroque. The three acts then follow in rapid succession, and one is quite absorbed into the opera without realizing that there are dramatic gaps of significant proportion.
Malena Ernman’s throaty mezzo in the role of Dido gives her a stolid and dignified presence. She is appropriately chary of Aeneas, performed with a resonant bass by Christopher Maltman, and when she succumbs, there is a hint of tragedy behind her momentary joy. When Aeneas spurns her, she launches into her famed lament with ease and grace, not milking it as many performers are wont to do. My only concern is her wide vibrato, which gives her role a more mature and romantic tinge. The voices of Judith van Wanroij and Lina Markeby as her ladies-in-waiting blend nicely, although the former has a light and cheerful “Shake the Cloud” that would persuade anyone to let loose. The campy witches, Tate’s knock-off of Macbeth, are played with a sort of monomaniacal glee by Hilary Summers, Céline Ricci, and Ana Quintans, their voices and cackling blending and bouncing off one another in their mock spells. They are more ladies of the night than demonic, and their fun is infectious. William Christie has done this work quite often over the course of his long career, so he knows how to keep the tempos brisk and flowing. It is a romp, and probably as great a way to while away an hour on opera as one can find. My only regret is that I was unable to get the dialogue between Christie and Warner to play, so I missed their discussion of their vision for this film. You may not need or want another Dido , but this will certainly be worth adding to your collection.
Tracklisting:
Dido and Aeneas, Z 626 by Henry Purcell
Performer: Ana Quintans (Soprano), Hilary Summers (Alto), Lina Markeby (Mezzo Soprano),
Celine Ricci (Soprano), Malena Ernman (Mezzo Soprano), Judith Van Wanrou (Soprano),
Christopher Maltman (Baritone), Damian Whiteley (Bass)
Conductor: William Christie
Orchestra/Ensemble: Les Arts Florissants
Period: Baroque
Written: 1689; England
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Disc Title: Purcell.Dido & Aeneas.William Christie, Les Arts Florissants.2010.BD1080i
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Henry Purcell - Dido & Aeneas - William Christie, Les Arts Florissants (2010)
