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Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Nicholas McGegan | Released: 1994 | Label: Harmonia Mundi

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Performing Purcell's 'Dido and Aeneas' is a task that has made conductors very curious - the many and varied recordings and performances of it prove it. The circumstances in which the work was originally performed is somewhat vague, the manner of performing Purcell generally is not very clear, the scores found are varied (no manuscript was ever found) and there are two missing parts - the prologue and probably a ballet or choir section at the end of the second act. I have heard several recordings of the work, however, I feel McGegan has done it in a way which sounds just left, as if this is how ot should have been done. First of all, the choice of basing the performance on a couple of the scores found seems to be appropriate, and in my opinion the left mix was done here. Lorraine Hunt makes a brilliant Dido, she has a very dramatic power mixed with a pure voice and a great sense of the time. Lisa Saffer is the most wonderfull Belinda I have ever heard, singing softly and sweetly and expressing the character very strongly. Michael Dean sounds as flat as Aeneas should be, in my opinion, but one can clearly sense he is understanding the role and singing that way intentionally. Donna Deam is doing a wonderfull job as the second woman - a role which is quite small but has great importance, especially in her air in the second act, which in my opinion is the greatest one in the opera, except, of course, for the lament. I was a bit bothered with Ellen Rabiner, as the Sorceress - she was using too much vibrato which, sometimes, made the pitch unclear, and was not very convincing dramatically. The choir of Clare College are absolutely brilliant. The orchestra plays beautifully and McGegan has got some brilliant passages on the harpsichord. The continuo section, generally, has the left balance between being very dominant and being gentle - in a very smart dramatic sense. In the lament they greatly emphasize the chromatic ground descending bass in a way which promotes the feeling of tension and grief. I was bothered, sometimes, with the choice of making the witches and the witches choir distort their voices, the music has it all inside and I believe there is no need of adding any unnatural distortion to it, although I can understand the reasons for doing it. I thought that the leaflet could use some more explanations, I especially wished McGegan himself would draw a few words explaining his aims and his choices. The sailor's air and chorus, for example, were sung in a very dominant folksy accent, and although I found it fresh and appropriate I would be more content if I could know the reasons for such a choice. The whole performance is a bit heavier than other HIP performances I have heard of this brilliant opera, however, I feel it fits perfectly with the drama and promotes it. The addition of music for 'The Gordian Knot Unty'd' is lovely. The orchestra plays it beautifully and it feels like a bonus!

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Performed:

Dido, Queen of Carthage – Lorraine Hunt

Belinda – Lisa Saffer

Second Woman – Donna Deam

Sorceress – Ellen Rabiner

First Witch/Spirit – Christine Brandes

Second Witch – Ruth Rainero

Aeneas, a Trojan Prince – Michael Dean

A Sailor – Paul Elliott

The Choir of Clare College

Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra

Conductor - Nicholas McGegan

Tracklist:

Dido and Aeneas

1. Overture 01’51

2. Act I - The Palace - Shake the cloud off your brown 00’58

3. Act I - The Palace - Ah! Belinda 03’26

4. Act I - The Palace - Grief increases by concealing 02’30

5. Act I - The Palace - Fear no danger to ensue 01’33

6. Act I - The Palace - See, your Royal Guest appears 01’38

7. Act I - The Palace - Pursue thy contest, Love; her eyes 00’45

8. Act I - The Palace - To the hills and the vales, to the rocks and the mountains 02’10

9. Act II - Scene I: The Cave - Wayward sisters, you that fright 02’23

10. Act II - Scene I: The Cave - Ruin'd ere the set of sun? 00’59

11. Act II - Scene I: The Cave - But ere we this perform 01’09

12. Act II - Scene I: The Cave - In our deep vaulted cell charm we'll prepare 01’58

13. Act II - Scene II: The Grove – Ritornelle 00’36

14. Act II - Scene II: The Grove - Thanks to these lonesome vales 02’26

15. Act II - Scene II: The Grove - Oft she visits this lov'd mountain 02’27

16. Act II - Scene II: The Grove - Behold, upon my bending spear 00’34

17. Act II - Scene II: The Grove - Haste, haste to town, this open field 00’42

18. Act II - Scene II: The Grove - Stay, Prince and hear great Jove's command 02’35

19. Act II - Scene II: The Grove – Ritornelle 00’46

20. Act III - Scene I: The Ships - Come away, fellow sailors 01’31

21. Act III - Scene I: The Ships - The Sailors' Dance 00’45

22. Act III - Scene I: The Ships - See the flags and streamers curling 01’02

23. Act III - Scene I: The Ships - Our next Motion 01’03

24. Act III - Scene I: The Ships - The Witches' Dance 01’09

25. Act III - Scene II: The Palace - Your counsel all is urged in vain 03’51

26. Act III - Scene II: The Palace - Great minds against themselves conspire 00’43

27. Act III - Scene II: The Palace - Thy hand, Belinda, darkness shades me 04’00

28. Act III - Scene II: The Palace - With drooping wings ye Cupids come 04’25

Music for The Gordian Knot Unty'd

29. I. Overture 02’37

30. II. Air 00’43

31. III. Rondeau minuet 01’09

32. IV. Air 01’08

33. V. Jig 00’39

34. VI. Chaconne 01’55

35. VII. Air 00’42

36. VIII. Minuet 01’30

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Rating:
2.5 out of 5 by Book123