Anything by Henry Purcell is worthy of serious attention (devotion). I saw a magnificent performance of this work at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC many years ago.
July 1, 2009
From my favorite opera (I like very few)
Posted by zeusiswatching under Art and artistry | Tags: Baroque music, Dido and Aeneas, English composer, opera, Purcell, Virgil |[3] Comments
July 1, 2009 at 03:32
I have such ambivalent feelings about this opera. Purcell had the decency to cast his mature queen as a lower tessatura, and how many composers since have given a dramatic love-interest role to someone who didn’t screech in the upper registers?
But I have always felt that Virgil was pulling a fast one on us. Somehow, I think Dido woke up in the morning, said “What did I see in that Trojan boy toy?” then did exactly what Virgil describes as a subterfuge, and had a big marshmallow roast over the glowing embers of all the Trojan bowling league T-shirts and girly magazines he had left under the bed.
July 1, 2009 at 03:42
I can usually come up with some kind of smart ass comment,thinking myself a witty guy, but you got me stumped, and jaw dropped here:)
July 2, 2009 at 02:02
When you are A Woman Of A Certain Age With An Interesting Past it does give you a way different perspective on these types of romantic situations.