Purcell's Dido: Superb cast, superb performance
There is no doubt this release is cast from strength: one night suggest it is luxury indeed to have Helen Charleston, herself a fine Dido, as First Witch. But it is David Bates' vision that makes this performance so compelling. The grit of the Overure sets the stall, and as the performance moves on it becomes obvious that Bates has a through-composed conception. the music moves forward inexorably towards the final Lament. Here's that Overture:
Fleur Barron is a believable Dido - believable in the sense we feel the emotional weight at 'Ah Belinda, I am press'd with torment':
Belinda's decorations at "Shake the cloud from off your brow" are wonderful and fresh, the line increasingly ornate. Giulia Semenzato is without doubt a name to watch. Her Susanna at Covent Garden in January 2022 pretty much let m speechless (review), and she is just as notable here:
... and her "Thanks to this lonesome vale" offers a parallel example, but the ornamentation is less ornate (but no less effective):
It is interesting to see Helen Charleston, herself a notable Dido (as she proved in Versailles under William Christie not so long ago) as Firs Witch. . The Sorceress is alto Avery Amereau, steering clear, laudably, of caricature:
Everything seems rethought in this performance, to fine effect. The phrasing of the chorus, "In a deep vaulted cell" is a case in point, but perhaps the most remarkable is the background simmy to "Oft she visits". It's incredibly catchy and just feels right:
There are tempo choice that might well surprise here, but each and every one convinces. The final exchanges between Barron's Dido and Matthew Brook's Aeneas are dramatically gripping; it is Barron who dominates the exchange, Brook's potestations that he'll stay the only moments in the entire performance that are less than convincing. And yet, after his exit, Barrron brings us rich back to waves of emotion. When she sings, “Death is now a welcome guest,” we believe her. It is of course the last line before the great Lament:
This is the third Dido we have covered on Classical Explorer: there is one coupled with Blow's Venus and Adonis here, and William Christie conducts Deborah Warner's production here.
This fine performance is available on Amazon here