Dido and Aeneas

Henry Purcell c.1689

Opera
Music and drama have always shared
strong links
Monteverdis Orfeo in 1607 is
regarded as the first opera
Since this work, composers have
combined arias, choruses, dances
and instrumental music to create a
musical experience
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ma4OelX45I

Henry Purcell (1659-1695)

Born in London regarded as one of the best English
baroque composers, even though he was influenced
by French and Italian styles

Chorister at Westminster Abbey as a boy and later

organist
His instrumental works Fantasias for the Viols
(1680) show influence of English polyphonic
composers (Byrd, Tallis), whereas Twelve Sonatas of
Three Parts show a more modern, Italian influence.

Henry Purcell (1659-1695)

His instrumental works Fantasias for the
Viols (1680) show influence of English
polyphonic composers (Byrd, Tallis), whereas
Twelve Sonatas of Three Parts show a more
modern, Italian influence.
Composed choral works for the Chapel Royal,
and show Charles IIs preference for the
French style & use of homophonic choruses
Look up the features of the Baroque French
style and the Baroque Italian style

Dido and Aeneas

First performance thought to be in 1689 at Josias
Priests girls school in Chelsea
Libretto is adapted by Nahum Tate from Virgils
Aeneid, is the story of Trojan hero Aeneas, who
escapes Troy to found a colony in Italy, which
eventually becomes Rome. Virgils version glorifies
Romes imperial destiny
Tates version focuses on the tradegy of Dido, Queen
of Carthage, who is let down by her love, Aeneas.
The opera was not performed again in Purcells
lifetime! but marked a breakthrough in his career
and he was more in demand as a composer after this.

Dido and Aeneas

Opera struggled in England popularity
of the masque which is a mix of drama,
scenery, dance, poetry and music.
English wanted spectacle, amazing
scenery and machinery!
London theatre public were interested in
plays, with songs/dances inserted
(additional to the action)

Dido and Aeneas unusual at the

time
Short, compact opera three acts
English word setting regarded as the
first English opera
Songs are fairly simple in vocal technique
Main characters sing the principal numbers
drama develops through the music
Recitative used instead of spoken dialogue
Only strings and harpsichord in orchestra,
no elaborate scenery

Libretto by Nahum Tate

Analyse the words of the opera.
What do you notice about the structure
of the verses, rhyming patterns, length
of lines, etc?

Libretto by Nahum Tate

Short verses
Short rhythmic lines using rhyming couplets and other
rhyming patterns
Repetition used to extend passages
Characters rarely sing uninterrupted for more than a few lines
Short opera where the action moves quickly, apart from a few
longer numbers to express emotion, such as Ah! Belinda!
and When I Am Laid In Earth these particularly show off
Purcells ability to exploit the potential of the ground bass.

Style
Purcell would have been aware of
other composers in Europe
French and Italian opera (in general)
had a strong integration of music and
drama, with characters expressing
personality and emotion in arias and
recitatives

Style
Purcell would have been aware of
other composers in Europe
French and Italian opera (in general)
had a strong integration of music and
drama, with characters expressing
personality and emotion in arias and
recitatives

Style
Purcells later large stage works are regarded
as semi-operas or dramatic operas as the
music is additional to the music and main
characters act more than they sing (The Fairy
Queen (1692), King Arthur (1691)
French and Italian opera (in general) had a
strong integration of music and drama, with
characters expressing personality and
emotion in arias and recitatives

Style
Purcell would have been aware of the works
of Jean Baptiste Lully (1632-1687) who
dominated opera in France his Cadmus et
Hermione was performed in London in 1686.
Italian opera was developing the extended
solo aria to express emotion
French opera favoured short airs and more
melodic recitatives
Much opera of the time was based on simple
plots from classical Greek/Roman stories

Key Vocabulary
Recitative:
Aria:
Chorus:
Libretto:

Libretto
Only libretto from 1689 survives
Earliest copy of music is known as the
Tenbury manuscript (c.1775)
thought to be copied from now lost
material used for the 3rd performance
in 1704.
The 1689 libretto includes some
additions a Prologue and some extra
dances

Libretto
What problems do modern
performers face as a result of this?

Libretto
What problems do modern performers face as a result
of this?
Interpretation of the source
Disagreement over whether Sorceress should be sung
by a bass, whether witches should distort their voices
Whether to include the extra dances
The tempo
The tone of voice
It is worth listening to more than one performance
older recordings tend to be slower/voices heavier.

Dido and Aeneas

Scenes in the opera are made up of:
recitatives, airs/arias, choruses and
dances often in that order.
Rapid succession of short numbers
means that the drama moves quickly
Longer numbers, including groundbass arias, add contrast/emotion.

Characters

Dido - Soprano
Belinda (her sister) Soprano
Second Woman Soprano
Aeneas Tenor
Sorceress Mezzo-Soprano OR Bass
Two Witches Soprano
Spirit Mezzo-Soprano
Sailor Soprano OR Tenor

Tonal Scheme
The opera uses a clear scheme of keys to enhance
the dramatic shape of each scene. Look through
your score and analyse the keys used in each act
AND how they might reflect what is happening in
ACT
What does it begin with?
the
action.
1

Fear no Danger key?

Aeneas key? Why?
How does it end?

ACT
2

Witches key?
What other keys does it move to during the witches
scene?
Second scene keys?
Key used for Spirits attempt to divert Aeneas?

ACT
3

Sailors and witches key?

Key for Aeneas leaving/Didos death?

Tonal Schemes
ACT
1

C minor. Moves to C major as Belinda/court convinces

Dido to fear no danger and pursue love for Aeneas.
Aeneas has his own key (E minor, If not for mine, for
Empires sake), hinting at uncertainty of his love. Act
ends on C major optimistic.

ACT
2

Witches key of F minor, but also moves to F major, D

minor during the duet, and concludes with F major for a
chorus and dance. Second scene has a similar tonal
scheme/pattern D minor, D major, and A minor for
Spirits attempt to divert Aeneas to Italy. The act ends
here but it is argued that their should be a chorus and
dance to end as with others.

ACT
3

Sailors and witches in Bb major, G minor for concluding

scene of Aeneas leaving and Didos death.

Act 1
OVERTURE:
The overture is based on the French
style established by Lully
It opens in C minor
Slow and stately
Dotted rhythms a big feature of
baroque music
Fast section uses imitation

Act 1
SHAKE THE CLOUDS:
Belinda is urging Dido to be happier
in this aria
Short lines of text are set in a series
of short, two or three bar
phrases
Words are mostly set syllabically
Melisma on words such as shake
and flowing

Act 1
BANISH SORROW:
Same melodic style continues into
this chorus
Two lines of text are set
Homophonic style (melody in
sopranos)
Text is set in two, two-bar phrases
When repeated, second line is
extended into three-bar phrases
by the use of imitation in sops and

Act 1
AH! BELINDA:
Very important aria
Uses ground bass a device Purcell
is renowned for, and popular in the
baroque era
Aria is in C minor (apart from b29-36
which key?)
The ground bass is 4 bars in length
How does Purcell avoid it sounding
repetitive?

Act 1
AH! BELINDA:
How does Purcell avoid it sounding
repetitive?
Changes the lengths of phrases in the
vocal part making them overlap the
start of the ground bass doesnt always
coincide with the start of the vocal part.
Look at this on your score and mark
on the overlapping.

Act 1
AH! BELINDA:
Line of text

Length

Bars of ground
bass

Ah! Ah! Ah! Belinda

4 bars

2, 3, 4, 1

I am pressd with
torment

3 bars

2, 3, 4

Ah! Ah! Ah! Belinda

4 bars

1, 2, 3, 4

I am pressd with
torment not to be
confessd

5 bars

1, 2, 3, 4, 1

Act 1
AH! BELINDA:
The passage (Peace and I are strangers
grown) after this has a more regular pattern
Voice begins on fourth bar of the bass and
stays that way
Repetition of stangers allows the voice and
bass to end together
Aria ends with a short instrumental
ritornello the first four notes of the bass
are the main feature in the imitation

Act 1
GRIEF INCREASES/GREATEST
BLESSING:
After Didos languishing aria, the
action returns to rapid succession of
changing styles
Here we have a 4-5 bar recitative
(Grief increases) followed by a short
nine-bar aria (greatest blessing)

Act 1
WHEN MONARCHS UNITE:
Following the very short recitative/aria,
we have another short 13-bar chorus
Purcell once again shows off his ability
to be flexible and unpredictable with
his phrasing
Begins with two regular phrases of four
bars but he repeats they triumph to
make the final phrase last five bars

Act 1
WHENCE COULD SO MUCH VIRTUE BRING:
Didos love is very clear in this recitative
This is a significant recitative unusually, Purcell
shapes the melody to represent the words
Melismas on storms, valour, and fierce
Repetition of how soft contrasted with how fierce
gives musical shape to the recitative
There is direction in the vocal line ascending scale
from low C on storms to high G on sing
Use of minor key and accented dissonance on
soft make the word more expressive
Ascending semiquavers on fierce contrasted with
descending quavers in the bass and sudden
modulation to C major

Act 1
WHENCE COULD SO MUCH VIRTUE BRING:
Belinda is gently mocking her appogiatura on
strong, echoed later on woe with a semitone
change from major/minor
This recitative has many strong musical qualities and
a well shaped melody and bass line contrary motion
between bass and melody
Didos mine with storms begins in upper register
and descends until distressd
Mean wretches grief can touch descends to a lower
register, followed by an ascending scales which builds
to a climax and the expressive repetition of but ah
ah often represented by appogiatura sighing
movement

Act 1
FEAR NO DANGER:
The tension is broken by this duet in C
major
Sung in thirds by Belinda and 2nd
Woman
Uses inverted dotting also called
scotch snaps or Lombardic rhythm
which is characteristic of Purcells
approach to setting English text, but
also of homophonic, dance-like choruses
in French operas of the time.

Act 1
CUPID ONLY THROWS THE DART:
Can you describe the texture of
this chorus?
What features of Baroque music
are seen in this chorus?
https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wI4LaZSKMa0

Directed Study
Listen to and analyse Act II at home
with the score
Make notes on your score about word
setting, word painting and vocal
texture (particularly imitation).

ACT III
Begins with music of the sailors
- triple time
- imitative entries in the strings
- leads into solo & chorus Come Away,
Fellow Sailors
Most of the airs in this work have a
repetitive structure (ABA/AAB) what do
you notice about the six lines of this
one?
What do you notice about the phrasing
of the First Sailors melody?

ACT III
Most of the airs in this work have a
repetitive structure (ABA/AAB)
what do you notice about the six
lines of this one?
All 6 lines set to different music
What do you notice about the
phrasing of the First Sailors melody?
Irregular (common of Purcell), 5 bar
phrases at beginning and end, use of 3
bars phrasing.

Come Away, Fellow

Sailors!

Scotch snap on never

G minor modulation on take a boozy

short leave of your nymphs of the shore
this refers to the women Purcells
minor modulation here could represent a
warning to the young girls of Chelsea
School about men!
Sailors Dance how does this
reflect a feeling of sailors?

Witches
Gleeful delight
The duet of ho ho! changes the
Sorceress recitative to more of a song.
Our next motion has a more regular
structure 7 bar phrase is repeated to
give AAB form.
Describe the link between the voice
and accompaniment in Our next
motion particularly look at
rhythms!

Witches
Describe the link between the
voice and accompaniment in Our
next motion particularly look at
rhythms!
Use of dotted rhythms in basso
continuo, taken up by the voice.

Witches
Destructions Our Delight describe
the texture of the vocal writing

Witches
Destructions Our Delight describe
the texture of the vocal writing
Homophonic choral writing, followed
by imitative ho ho ho ho! in 3rds.

When I am Laid in Earth

The opera ends with this dramatic
aria (in which Dido dies)
It is highly chromatic and again uses
ground bass
It is longer to allow the expression of
emotion and tragedy
The sorrowful mood is reflected by
the use of descending melodic
shapes, using chromatic or minor
scales.

When I am Laid in Earth

Recitative: Thy hand,
Belinda

Voice descends bar by bar through most

of the notes of the chromatic scale as
Dido accepts Death

Aria: When I am Laid in

Earth

Chromatic ground bass, descends from G

to S. Five bars long, played 9 times, and
twice in ritornello.
Descending scale of G min on Remember
me, but ah! Forget my fate
Ritornello string imitation based on the
ground bass descending chromatic
pattern
Violins extend phrase by playing a one-bar
motif of 3 minims, which descends
through the complete chromatic scale
(except Ab)

Chorus: With Drooping

Wings

Chorus entries on a descending scalic

motif

Homework
Court masque and theatre music in
England:
The Beggars Opera (1728) written by John
Gay and music arranged by Johann
Pepusch.
Research this work and answer the
following question:
What were the characteristics of Italian
opera seria? Why was it a target for satire
in The Beggars Opera?

Comparing
Court masque and theatre music in England.
John Blows Venue & Adonis (c.1684):
Written for the court of Charles II
One of the most significant works to precede
Dido and Aeneas
Masque in 3 acts and a prologue, and does not
include spoken dialogue.
Blows writing shows sensitivity in settling
English words
Music combines English music, French opera,
Italian cantata

Comparing
Handels Acis & Galatea (1718):
Italian approach to English court masque
Written for the Duke of Chandos in his newly
built mansion (Cannons in Middlesex) at
which Pepusch was the musical director.
Text written by John Gay, Alexander Pope &
John Hughes, based on a story from Ovids
Metamorphoses.

Acis & Galatea

5 voices and a small orchestra
choruses originally one voice to a
part
Masques were often performed at
court, so perhaps limited space

Handel
What do you know about
Handel?

Handel
Born and grew up in Germany
Spent a few years in Italy and was a master of the Italian
style.
He had success in London his Italian opera Rinaldo in
1711 was a big hit and he settled permanently in
England in 1713.
His German employer Elector of Hanover became King
George I
He was enlisted to write a series of operas for the Royal
Academy of Music group of aristocrats who wanted to
get Italian opera out to the London masses.

Acis & Galatea

The first part (sometimes known as
Act I) are gentle and pastoral
introducing us to the lovers: Acis
(shepherd) and Galatea (nymph).
Look at some of the recitatives
in this work. Compare the
length, melody, and
accompaniment with those of
Purcell (p33 for example)

Acis & Galatea

Look at some of the recitatives in this
work. Compare the length, melody,
and accompaniment with those of
Purcell.
Short
Less melodic variety
Simple chords, less rhythmic
movement in the bass (Purcells are
more like arias in some cases)

Acis & Galatea

Recitatives are expressive, but are
only really there to link the arias
together, which are very much in the
expressive, Italian style.
What is a Da Capo Aria?

Acis & Galatea

What is a Da Capo Aria?
Large-scale Italian style, focus is on the
voice.
Three sections ABA
Section B is short and in a related key with
some contrasting material
Da Capo marking appears at the end of B
so that the performer repeats the A section
Usually, ornamentation is added in the
repeat.

Acis & Galatea

Pastoral feel in Galateas aria Hush,
Ye Pretty Warbling Choir (speaking
to the birds).

How is this pastoral/country feel

achieved?

Acis & Galatea

Galateas aria Hush, Ye Pretty Warbling
Choir
How is this pastoral/country feel
achieved?
Introduction (in F major) features
recorders and violins in 3rds, and trills,
which form the basis of accompaniment
throughout the song. Music is
attractive, pretty, delightful.

Acis & Galatea

Galateas aria Hush, Ye Pretty Warbling
Choir
4 short lines of text freely repeated in the
A section for 43 bars, and 13 bars of
instrumental music from the
accompaniment to complete the section.
B section is short (as expected) and in the
relative minor (D), modulates to A min, and
sets only two lines of text
Da Capo instruction

Acis & Galatea

The B sections in the da capo arias do not
offer much in terms of contrast or dramatic
development as they are so short.
Drama develops more through the contrasts
between the arias.
Look at the aria (Acis) which follows Hush,
Ye Pretty Warbling Choir it is in C minor
and uses agitated dotted rhythms.

Acis & Galatea

In the second part (Act 2) we feel more tension as
Polyphemus (monster) is introduced he wanted Galatea
for himself.
Recitatives in this part are longer to show the increased
dramatic action.
In the chorus Wretched Lovers!, Handel uses dissonant
suspensions and imitative textures to represent the chorus
warning the lovers, and fast counterpoint for Polyphemus
Can you find any word painting in this which reflects the
monster?

Acis & Galatea

In the chorus Wretched Lovers!, Handel uses
dissonant suspensions and imitative textures to
represent the chorus warning the lovers, and fast
counterpoint for Polyphemus
Can you find any word painting in this which
reflects the monster?
Ample strides uses detached notes; giant roars
uses semiquavers in the bass; antiphonal
exchange of the word hark in the voice parts to
warn.

Independent Work
1. Compare Handel and Purcells
writing for the solo voice. Make a list of
similarities and differences.
2. Explain how Purcell uses harmony
and tonality to illustrate the drama in
Dido and Aeneas. Refer to at least 2
scenes.