Virgil tells us that Aeneas, driven out of burning Troy, arrives at the court of Dido, Queen of Carthage. After a passionate romance, Aeneas obeys Jupiter’s order to weigh anchor. The Trojan prince abandons the unfortunate queen, who dies of desper-ation. In Tate’s libretto, it is a sorceress who, under the guise of Mercury, orders the hero to leave Dido and Carthage and conquer Italy. In the famous aria in which Dido says goodbye to life : « When I am laid in earth… Remember me, but ah ! forget my fate », one of the great moments of the opera, Purcell provides a masterpiece of overwhelming emotional density. But as an heir to the Elizabethan theatre, Purcell also excels in combining the comic with the tragic: by contrast, the carefree dances of the sailors and the diabolical clamour of the witches only serve to highlight Dido’s tragedy.

Broadcasted on France Musique on Saturday, August 12th at 8 p.m. in “Le Concert du soir”, presented by Benjamin François.