The myth of Aeneas and Dido, as well as the beginning of the enmity between Rome and Carthage.

Purcell's opera Dido and Aeneas ”was staged for the first time in 1689, but by the will of fate it was forgotten for a long time and was revived to a new life only 200 years later. In addition, Purcell wrote music for at least fifty dramatic performances. This music consisted of separate pieces: choirs, arias, ballet fragments, instrumental introductions and intermissions. Purcell widely used in this music the achievements of both folk comedy and court performances - "masks". Among these performances with music are those that Purcell himself called operas, since in them entire large scenes are set to music (The Prophetess, King Arthur, The Faerie Queene, The Tempest, The Indian Queen).

Purcell's Dido and Aeneas is a rare, amazing example of a real, highly accomplished opera in a country where before that a national opera had not been created and had no developed tradition of its own. In terms of its artistic perfection, "Dido and Aeneas" is not inferior to the best Italian examples.

The author of the libretto for the opera "Dido and Aeneas" was the English poet N. Tate, who edited an episode of Virgil's "Aeneid", which tells about the tragedy of the Carthaginian queen Dido, abandoned by the Trojan Aeneas, obsessed with the desire to build a new Troy to replace the destroyed one. In Virgil's poem, the gods themselves tell Aeneas to leave Dido in order to fulfill their will. In Tate's libretto, the place of ancient gods, who destroy Dido's human happiness, is occupied by evil forces, traditional for English dramaturgy, witches with their incantatory choirs and ominous magical dances. A striking contrast to the heroic music of Aeneas and the lyrical arias of Dido are the choirs and dances of sailors, written in the folk spirit. The culmination of the opera is the departure of the Trojan ships, the frantic choir of witches and Dido's dying aria, written in the form of an old passacaglia (variations on a constantly returning sequence of sounds in a bass voice). When the bass melodic figure appears for the seventh time, Dido's voice falls silent, and the instruments play the aria mournfully and quietly; the unfortunate Dido threw herself into the sea and perished in its waves, the final chorus mourns her.

Purcell's work was the pinnacle of the English musical and theatrical tradition, which developed gradually from the Middle Ages of the Renaissance to the 17th century. 18th century and subsequent historical period, up to our days, is generally considered to be a time of decline in English music. However, this generally accepted judgment should not be taken as an absolutely reliable characterization of an entire historical epoch in English music.

Dido and Aeneas is the first truly great opera composed by an Englishman; but there is gossips who claim that she is also the last. It was composed (in 1689) by the young Henry Purcell, who personified the glory of English music, and was intended - primarily - for a boarding school where only girls studied. This school was run by a certain Josias Priest, who apparently had influential friends. Not only did the leading English composer write the music for the school play, but the then recognized English poet, Neium Tate, was the author of the libretto. He may not have been a great poet, but he wrote a really good and acceptable libretto on the myth of passionate love and death. Acceptable - if you keep in mind that the opera was intended for staging by girls. The source for the libretto was the fourth book of Virgil's Aeneid. Perhaps at that time the girls studied this poem at school.

The opera was staged only once during the life of the author, on the occasion of the graduation of students from the women's boarding school. In the 17th century, it was used as a "mask" in the appendix to Shakespeare's comedy "Measure for Measure". Between 1887 and 1889 it was published by William G. Cummings, which made it known to our age; then it was published by the Purcell Society Press (1961). Despite the fame of opera and interest in it as the largest example of musical drama (the first in England), some believe that Purcell best showed his abilities in music for the theater, written for other occasions, for "semi-operas" or masks, in which the composer could include more extensive, fantasy-rich episodes, including pictorial. This was the case with Diocletian (1690) and King Arthur (1691), The Faerie Queene (1692) and Oedipus (1692), The Tempest (1695) and Bonduka (1695). However, despite the small size, the laconicism and concentration of the narrative strikes the dramatic unity achieved in Dido and Aeneas, especially in the finale, being, in particular, the result of the use of the English language, although the stage constructions are still closely related to the form of the mask.

It is truly wonderful that in such a small, truly chamber work, the young composer was able to show such skill in depicting feelings, to paint a picture in which the fatal magical threads of rock and the almost deliberate general indifference of those who do not take part in the fate of the main characters are perfectly conveyed. The emotional vocal formulas of the Italian Baroque school, especially Cavalli and Carissimi, fit into the same frame, the skillful and daring harmonies, the ancestor of which was Purcell, the French influence (Lully) and the melodic-rhythmic elements gleaned from the typical choral and polyphonic English tradition(not to mention Venus and Adonis, John Blow's mask).

The persistent change (in the opinion of some, truly painful) of recitatives and various ariose forms, as it were, drives the action, well outlining the characters and position of the characters. In particular, the dialogues of the queen and Aeneas ruthlessly rule the inexorable course of events: on the one hand, her tears and protests, on the other, the dry answers of the hero, who knows his destiny and is driven by his own egoism. In a sad finale - a powerful and gloomy death scene - the queen proclaims her voluntary death and wishes to leave good memory about herself, although she is seized by an impulse of painful self-condemnation. The intense sound of basso ostinato and the sequences on the words "Remember my" ("Remember me") became legendary. This scene, after an extended touching lamento, ends with the epitaph of the choir: cupids dance around Dido's deathbed, enlightening the atmosphere. This is an image sent into the future, an amazing anticipation of the future and appears before the viewer, like a cinematic influx.

G. Marchesi (translated by E. Greceanii)

Purcell's opera reflects ancient myth about the life of Aeneas, which formed the basis of Virgil's poem "Aeneid". The poem was popular among composers. But to this day, not many works have retained their relevance, including Purcell's opera. Restrained grief, depth distinguish the melody of this composition, saturated with chromaticisms. For two centuries the opera was not performed on stage, only after the London premiere in 1895 did it find its "second life". Dido's aria "When I am laid in earth" (3 days) belongs to world masterpieces. Note the production of 1951 in London directed by Britten, a performance at the Glyndebourne Festival (1966, the part of Dido was performed by Baker).

Legend of Dido and Aeneas
When, after a shipwreck, the Carthaginians said: lifewreck! - Aeneas, hero Trojan War, in which the Greeks killed the Greeks, the only one who was saved by the Great Blue Sea - as the Carthaginians called the Mediterranean Sea - was thrown by the waves onto an unknown shore, then his lifeless body was taken by fishermen to the palace of his ruler.
So he ended up at the feet of Queen Dido, who began to build great city Carthage in 825 new era. This date was invented by completely different people, so the queen built her city, following only the dictates of her time and her heart.
Having lost everything and no longer expecting anything good from Fate and the Gods, Aeneas, when he opened his eyes, fell in love with the beautiful Dido, his savior, at first sight and decided to achieve her intimacy. Of course, only as a token of gratitude for his salvation, as every man who respects himself and does not respect a woman does.
But Queen Dido was busy all the time: she was building what she wanted to build. And only then, many years later, completely different people will write that the queen built the great Carthage, the city that gave the name to the Great Civilization!
One day, Aeneas, as soon as he got to his feet and felt that he was again a man, whose main purpose is to win and conquer the heart of a beauty, asks Dido. But he is refused: “There are a lot of things!”
Seven days have passed - every man knows that after seven days he is completely unbearable - he again sends her a message on parchment. So in those distant times they called SMS. And again refusal.
A month later, he himself went to the city, made his way through the crowd of builders that surrounded Dido, stretched out his hands to her, standing, of course, on his knees and trying to hug, to the general surprise of the Carthaginians, her knees, and says:
- Dido, beloved, incomparable, priceless, I would like to meet you!
After each adjective, of course, he added the word “mine” in order to emphasize to whom this priceless property belongs, but ...
"I'm sorry, can't you see I'm busy," Dido replied coldly.
Remember, dear: if modern woman, as in ancient times, says "I'm busy!", This means that she sends you - very politely - to all four directions!
Well, Aeneas went. What he did next is unknown. They say that he composed something, the very one that Virgil later found and rewrote into the poetic epic "Aeneid". But Aeneas, you understand, did not know about this. Men also do useful things, for example, begetting those who then become a great man. But tell me: who, singing the genius, the master, the creator, also exalts with pathos the one who conceived him, without even thinking about what a good deed he is doing.
A year later, Aeneas again came to the construction site. And he sees the same picture: Dido is laying new temples and houses, building a port, paving roads, work is in full swing, arguing. And everything is led by the beautiful Dido, and everything obeys her. The city of Carthage is growing higher and wider, not knowing that it will forever go down in history not only by its birth, but also by death!
Aeneas again rushes towards her, such a stubborn, stubborn one, all about his own, and again, kneeling, stretches out his hands:
- Dido, I beg you, find a window, stay with me for a while.
“I’m busy,” Dido replies, “how can they manage without me?” And anyway, do I owe you something? Saved you, brought you back to life - and be healthy!
Aeneas wept with grief, completely distraught with passion for Dido, boarded a ship and sailed out of despair to the Italian shores to build his city, Eternal Rome, as a symbol of his unchanging and unrequited love to Dido. And indeed: you can hang anything and any spaghetti about the worthlessness and uselessness of men on your ears, but Aeneas built his city! Moreover! He remained faithful to his Beloved!
And it has nothing to do with the three Punic wars that Roman men started against Carthaginian women!
Having completed the construction of the great Carthage, Dido ordered to arrange great holiday, invite his beloved Aeneas to him and play a wedding with him in the Carthaginian library. Then the most revered place was the Library, the most large building, which contained the main treasures of human genius.
But…
Dido heard back sad story about the fact that Aeneas, upset in his feelings, left a long time ago, and leaving the Carthaginian coast, all the time he sang songs about love and shed bitter tears. Here, he left the parchment with verses, all tear-stained, you can only read the title, “You are my Sun!”
And then such anguish seized Dido that Carthage became not dear to her, her industrious strong arms built. And such love broke out in her soul and body that for all subsequent centuries every man who considers himself a poet sang it in his works. A a real man always writes poetry, even if he does not admit it to himself!
And Dido went to long journey to find your lover and hug him with your feminine arms and never let him go again!
So let's drink to the fact that, no matter what projects a beautiful woman She didn’t put it into practice, no matter how passionate she was about her work, she never forgot that he was nearby, the only man in love with her who idolizes her, adores her and burns with desire!
And let the female hand always answer the outstretched male hands.
"AMO ERGO SUM!"
"I love - it means I exist!"
This is what men in antiquity used to say, raising their glasses of wine to beautiful ladies in Carthage. And be sure to add:
"And we will be happy!"

Rewritten from parchments found during excavations of Carthage destroyed by the Romans, and translated from Punic into Russian
Evgeny Larin.
November 9, 2014

G. Purcell opera "Dido and Aeneas": the myth of great love

The plot of the opera is based on love story mythical characters – Trojan hero Aeneas and Queen Dido of Carthage. Many creators of world art, including Homer, Virgil, Dante, turned to this topic, trying to perpetuate it in their creation, but only Henry Purcell managed to do it in full. His opera Dido and Aeneas is considered the best essay in English musical culture late XVII- XVIII century.

Summary

The action of the performance begins immediately in Dido's palace - she is worried because of her sudden love for Aeneas. However, there is no reason to worry, her love is mutual: the Trojan hero confesses his feelings to the queen and offers to tie their fates by marriage. But evil forces are against this union. The witch sends an evil spirit to the enamored Aeneas in the form of the god Mercury, so that he sets out to him the “will of the gods” - by all means, he must leave Dido forever and sail away from Carthage in order to fulfill the mission destined for him by heaven.

Aeneas cannot contradict the will from above and is going on a journey. Dido does not see life without a lover and decides to die. Before throwing herself into the fire, she asks the cupids to shower her grave with fragrant rose petals, velvety, tender, but gradually dying - just like hers. loving heart. This is what she sings about in her famous aria"When I am laid in Earth", called "Dido's Lament".

Photo:

Popular arias

Dido's aria "Ah, Belinda"

Dido's aria "Thy hand Belinda - When I am laid in earth"

Interesting Facts

• The opera "Dido and Aeneas" was composed for a women's boarding school. This explains the "simplicity" of the score of the composition - after all, schoolgirls should be able to perform it. By the way, the original score of the work has not survived, and some fragments of the opera were irretrievably lost.
• The story of the Trojan hero Aeneas is known today in several versions. According to one version, he saved many people from the burning Troy and sailed with them to the open sea, after some time moored to the shores North Africa. The second version tells that Aeneas left Troy even before its capture, and the third one even accuses the hero of surrendering. hometown enemies and subsequent flight.
• The will of the gods, which Aeneas had to fulfill - the foundation of the city of the Latins. The hero and his descendants successfully completed this mission - they built many cities in Italy. After the death of Aeneas, the Italians deified him and began to consider him the God-ancestor of the Roman people. That's how she played her part tragic story love of Dido and Aeneas: the myth had to take place in order to create a world power and the center of Catholicism - Rome.
• But the Spaniards consider Queen Dido to be their founder. This is how Alfonso X writes about it in his chronicle of 1282, The History of Spain.
• The love story of the heroes is perceived by scientists as an encrypted code of subsequent wars between Rome and Carthage - the so-called Punic Wars. After for long years conflict, the Roman army will still destroy the Phoenician city, despite the current truce.

To a libretto (in English) by Nachem Tate, based on the fourth book of Virgil's Aeneid.

CHARACTERS:

Dido, Queen of Carthage (contralto)
Aeneas, leader of the Trojans (baritone)
BELINDA, Dido's confidante (soprano)
SECOND LADY, another confidante (mezzo-soprano)
SPIRIT, in the guise of Mercury (soprano)
THE WITCH (contralto)

Time of action: after the fall of Troy.
Location: Carthage.
First performance: Chelsea (London), 1689.

Dido and Aeneas is the first truly great opera composed by an Englishman; but there are evil tongues that say that she is also the last. It was composed (in 1689) by the young Henry Purcell, who personified the glory of English music, and was intended - primarily - for a boarding school where only girls studied. This school was run by a certain Josias Priest, who apparently had influential friends. Not only did the leading English composer write the music for the school play, but the then recognized English poet, Neium Tate, was the author of the libretto. He may not have been a great poet, but he wrote a really good and acceptable libretto on the myth of passionate love and death. Acceptable - if you keep in mind that the opera was intended for staging by girls. The source for the libretto was the fourth book of Virgil's Aeneid. Perhaps at that time the girls studied this poem at school.

ACT I

Scene 1. After the classic tragic overture, Belinda comforts Dido, her mistress and queen of Carthage. But the queen is seized with excitement because of her love for Aeneas. Aeneas is, of course, a Trojan hero who landed on the shores of Carthage after the fall of Troy. He shows up with his entourage, and by the end of the scene, it's pretty obvious they're madly in love with each other. A madrigal choir (always present in the most intimate domestic conversations in classical operas) celebrates the union of lovers ("To the hills and the vales" - "Light choir of clouds"). The general delight is expressed in dances.

Scene 2. In the second scene, we meet the villains. Among them is a sorceress, two chief witches, a whole choir of accompanying witches. All of them are more like the witches from Shakespeare's Macbeth than what Virgil imagined. In their cave, they make plans to create a storm on the sea in order to separate Dido and Aeneas and force the hero to leave the queen. Recitative and choir alternate in the picture: the choral stanza invading the development (in the rhythm of a gigue) imitates diabolical laughter, giving the music a demonic shade. The duet of witches, anticipating the victory over love, sounds triumphant and menacing. The scene ends in a chorus with a spectacular echo indicating a "deep vaulted cavern".

ACT II

Very short second the action is a hunt arranged by Queen Dido for the pleasure of her famous guest. A sorceress and two witches plot to thwart the alliance between Dido and Aeneas and destroy Carthage in a conflagration. The chorus, Belinda, and then the second lady describe the grove and Aeneas' boasting about the boar he killed. When Dido and her companions leave to escape the storm that has broken out, a mysterious spirit keeps Aeneas from following them. This character in the guise of Mercury was sent by a sorceress with an order supposedly from Jupiter. He tells Aeneas that he must leave Dido that very night, since his calling is to found the great city of Rome. Aeneas laments the need to leave his beloved queen, but understands that he must obey this order of the gods. The action ends with the witches expressing their joy that their plan worked out for the best.

ACT III

The last act begins with a chorus of Trojan sailors, happily preparing to sail from the shores of hospitable Carthage (“Come away, fellow sailors” - “Hey sailor! Let's raise the anchors”). Then the sorceress appears with her choir of witches, who rejoice more than ever at this departure. My favorite verse in this hilarious episode:

Our plot has taken
The Queen's forsook.

(Our plan succeeded,
Leave the queen.)

This is, of course, the English syntax of the 17th century.

Then the tragic Dido enters with her retinue. She has completely resigned herself to her fate, and even when Aeneas offers to disobey Jupiter's orders and stay with her, she adamantly insists that her lover go on his way. The music becomes extraordinarily tragic when she sings her big aria "When I am laid in earth" ("I lie in the ground"). In the entire operatic repertoire, I am sure there are not many pages equal to these. The opera ends with a short, fanned feeling of light sadness in chorus (“With drooping wings ye cupids come” - “Grieving, two wings drooped”).

Henry W. Simon (translated by A. Maykapar)

The opera was staged only once during the life of the author, on the occasion of the graduation of students from the women's boarding school. In the 17th century, it was used as a "mask" in the appendix to Shakespeare's comedy "Measure for Measure". Between 1887 and 1889 it was published by William G. Cummings, which made it known to our age; then it was published by the Purcell Society Press (1961). Despite the fame of the opera and interest in it as the largest example of musical drama (the first in England), some believe that Purcell showed his abilities better in music for the theater, written for other occasions, for "semi-operas" or masks, in which the composer could include more extensive, fantasy-rich episodes, including pictorial ones. This was the case with Diocletian (1690) and King Arthur (1691), The Faerie Queene (1692) and Oedipus (1692), The Tempest (1695) and Bonduka (1695). However, despite its small size, the laconicism and concentration of the narrative strikes the dramatic unity achieved in Dido and Aeneas, especially in the finale, being, in particular, the result of the use in English, although stage constructions are still closely related to the shape of the mask.

It is truly wonderful that in such a small, truly chamber work, the young composer was able to show such skill in depicting feelings, to paint a picture in which the fatal magical threads of rock and the almost deliberate general indifference of those who do not take part in the fate of the main characters are perfectly conveyed. The emotional vocal formulas of the Italian Baroque school, especially Cavalli and Carissimi, the skillful and daring harmonies pioneered by Purcell, the French influence (Lully) and the melodic-rhythmic elements drawn from the typical choral and polyphonic English tradition (not to mention about "Venus and Adonis", the mask of John Blow).

The persistent change (in the opinion of some, truly painful) of recitatives and various ariose forms, as it were, drives the action, well outlining the characters and position of the characters. In particular, the dialogues of the queen and Aeneas ruthlessly rule the inexorable course of events: on the one hand, her tears and protests, on the other, the dry answers of the hero, who knows his destiny and is driven by his own egoism. In the sad finale - a powerful and gloomy scene of death - the queen proclaims her voluntary death and wishes to leave a good memory of herself, although she is seized by an impulse of painful self-condemnation. The intense sound of basso ostinato and the sequences on the words "Remember my" ("Remember me") became legendary. This scene, after an extended touching lamento, ends with the epitaph of the choir: cupids dance around Dido's deathbed, enlightening the atmosphere. This is an image sent into the future, an amazing anticipation of the future and appears before the viewer, like a cinematic influx.

G. Marchesi (translated by E. Greceanii)

Purcell's opera reflects the ancient myth about the life of Aeneas, which formed the basis of Virgil's poem "Aeneid". The poem was popular among composers. But to this day, not many works have retained their relevance, including Purcell's opera. Restrained grief, depth distinguish the melody of this composition, saturated with chromaticisms. For two centuries the opera was not performed on stage, only after the London premiere in 1895 did it find its "second life". Dido's aria "When I am laid in earth" (3 days) belongs to world masterpieces. Note the production of 1951 in London directed by Britten, a performance at the Glyndebourne Festival (1966, the part of Dido was performed by Baker).

Discography: CD-EMI. Dir. Jones, Dido (Flagstad), Aeneas (Hamsley), Belinda (Schwarzkopf), Witch (Mandikian) - EMI. Dir. Barbirolli, Dido (Los Angeles), Aeneas (Glossop), Belinda (Harper), Witch (Johnson).

The premiere took place in 1688 in girl's school Josias Priest in London.
The action takes place in Carthage. Queen Dido is sad: she yearns for love for Aeneas. The retinue fails to cheer up the mistress. Aeneas appears and proposes to the queen to the general rejoicing. But the evil sorceress planned to destroy Carthage. She sends evil spirits to Aeneas. Disguised as gods, they order him to leave Dido. He obediently fulfills the will of the "gods". Dido mourns for Aeneas as she watches his ship prepare to sail from the shores of Carthage. The sorceress appears: she rejoices, the plan worked. But suddenly Aeneas appears. He tells his beloved about the will of the gods, but Dido does not accept his excuses. Then Aeneas says that he will remain contrary to the will of Jupiter, but the queen rejects his declarations of love. Once he has decided to leave, he must immediately leave her. Dido dies. Before her death, she asks the cupids to decorate her grave with rose petals, personifying the tenderness and softness of her heart.

History of creation

Henry Purcell personifies the glory of the English classical music. "Dido and Aeneas"- the first opera composed by a composer from England. Purcell wrote a piece for a girls' boarding school. The author of the libretto was the well-known English poet Naum Tate in the 17th century. The basis for the libretto was the epic " Aeneid by the ancient Roman poet Virgil. In 1688, the composer completed work on the opera. "Dido and Aeneas" was presented to the public in the summer of 1688 on the occasion of the annual graduation of students at the London boarding school for girls in Chelsea (a large area in the western part of central London). Historians claim that this is the only production of the opera during the composer's lifetime.
Since 1700, the opera was classified as a “mask” and staged as part of William Shakespeare’s play “Measure for Measure” adapted for the theater by Thomas Betterton. After 5 years, the opera was forgotten for almost two centuries, until the anniversary of the death of Henry Purcell, when Dido and Aeneas again sounded from the stage thanks to the efforts of students from the Royal College of Music in London.

Special interest to the opera appeared in the 20th century, when the score became publicly available. It is worth noting that the music of the opera is not particularly difficult even for non-professional musicians. The work was staged primarily in the United States, with the exception of french version"Dido and Aeneas", adapted for modern dance in 1989 in Brussels (France). On the occasion of the 350th anniversary of the composer, Dido and Aeneas was again presented to the public (2009, New York).
IN small work Henry Purcell showed his skill in all its glory: in simple and concise forms, he conveyed the feelings of the characters, their experiences, the love tragedy that united them forever. Daring harmonies, quick change of arias and scenes helped the composer to vividly describe the character and thoughts of each character. The opera continues to sound on opera stages in different parts of the world.

Interesting facts

• "Dido and Aeneas" - the only work Purcell without colloquial speech for the theatre.
• The oldest manuscript of the opera dates from 1750. Original version the score by the composer's hand has not been preserved.
• The first foreign production of the work took place on December 14, 1895 in Dublin.
• Some critics argue that the music of Dido and Aeneas is overly simple. Specialists on Purcell's work note that the work was written for schoolgirls, and therefore the lightness and simplicity of the score is fully justified.
• The opera has several versions of the score. Most famous acquired the editors of Benjamin Britten and Imogen Holst.
• Dido's aria from the third act ("When I am laid in earth") is one of the world's operatic masterpieces.
• The first sound recording of the opera dates from 1935.