Dido and Aeneas

Not long ago, Vox Luminis was the Muziekgebouw’s ‘ensemble in focus’, performing a special production of Purcell’s The Fairy Queen. Now, the beloved ensemble returns to bring Purcell’s other musical masterpiece, Dido and Aeneas, to life. Once again, they are joined by soprano Carine Tinney, who made a lasting impression in The Fairy Queen. Prepare yourself for a spine-tingling performance of When I’m laid in earth. 
  
The creation of Dido and Aeneas is indirectly attributable to the Dutch Stadtholder William III. One of his first acts as the new King of England was to fire Henry Purcell from his position as court composer. Out of a job and with time on his hands, Purcell wrote his masterpiece at home. The fact that Aeneas is portrayed in the opera as a spineless fool may well have been Purcell’s sweet revenge against William III. 

7 p.m. / Early Music lecture (Dutch spoken) by Saskia Törnqvist
The formula for Dido and Aeneas
The exact time and place of the premiere of Henry Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas remain a mystery. We do know, however, that it was performed in 1689 at a school for girls of the nobility, an occasion that presumably involved plenty of dancing. Based on Virgil’s Aeneid, Dido and Aeneas is Purcell’s only true opera – a magnificent amalgam of high and low art, humour and profound tragedy. Purcell drew the ingredients for his musical recipe from the traditional English masque, the Venetian opera style, and the opera Venus and Adonis by his compatriot John Blow. Political undertones are also present: what exactly is the connection between ‘our’ William III, Queen Mary, and the libretto?