Dido & Aeneas – Opera by Henry Purcell OnarainyandcoolSundayafternoon,numerousmembersandfriendsofourAssociationfoundtheirwaytotheSalleLaetitiainIxelles.Abrightlylitandnicelydecoratedhallsetthestageforalovelymusicalperformance.CharlotteMessiaen,memberof theHungariangroup,conductedaconcertversionof theoperaDido&Aeneas,performedbythevocalensemble‘Artemiss’andChelsaestringconsort.ThisistheonlyoperawrittenbythebaroquecomposerHenryPurcellbetween1683and1688.Itconsistsofaprologueand3acts.

PurcellandhislibrettistNahumTatebasedtheworkonanepisodeinVirgil’sAeneid,theancientRomanepicabouttheTrojanprince,Aeneas,afterthefallofTroy.

InActtwo,theevilSorceressandherwitchesareintentondestroyingtheirhappiness.TotrickAeneasintoleavingDido,Sorceress,disguisedasMercury,remindsAeneasofhisdestinyinRomeandcommandshimtoleaveCarthage.DidoandAeneasrealizethattheymustseparate.

InActone,afterescapingfromTroy,AeneasandhismensetsailforItaly,whereheisdestinedtofindRome.BlownoffcoursetoCarthageonthenorthernshoreofAfrica,AeneasfallsinlovewithDido,QueenofCarthage.Theactendswithgeneralrejoicing.

In Act three, as the fleet is being prepared to leave, the wicked Sorceress and her witchescelebrate their victory and sing of their delight. Dido and Aeneas sing the famous duet ‘Away,away!No,Istay-Away,Away!’WhenAeneasrealizesthathemustleave,Didoisembitteredandbrokenhearted, she knows she cannot livewithout him. She thenprepares tomeet her fate –deathonthestake-inthemovingaria‘WhenIamlaidinearth’(alsoknownas‘Dido’slament’),whereuponcupidscometoscatterrosesonhertomb,‘softandgentleasherheart’.

The enthusiasm and sense of humour of the young singers and string ensemble, togetherwithsome amusing costume details, particularly for the witches, made for a great experience.CharlotteMessiaen,apartfromconductingtheensemble,alsoplayedtheroleofMercury,tellingAeneas that his destiny was to leave to found the new city of Troy, creating the enormousdilemmabetweenhisdutyandtheloveforDido,eventuallyleadingtoaverysadending.

This sadnesswas quickly forgottenwhen the audience’s gaze fell upon the generous cake andsandwichbuffet,lovinglypreparedbyourHungarianfriends.Muchsocializingfollowed,lubricatedbyexcellentHungarianwines,thankstotheHungarianEmbassy.Itseemedlikenobodywantedtogohomeaftersuchanenlighteningandbeautifulmusicalafternoon.ManythankstoalltheladiesfromtheHungariangroup,yourhospitalityisworldfamous!Andagreatbig‘Thankyou’toCharlotteMessiaenandallthesingersandmusicianswhogavetheirtimesogenerously. RenateSmith,Austriangroup