Purcell - Dido & Aeneas - Brilliant 92538 (2006) SACD rip via PS3 to iso (3.23GB) | 24bit/88.2kHz flac | Mch (2.24GB) (+6db gain) | 2ch (958MB) DR13 (+6dB gain) | Classical, Opera A small-sized version of Purcell’s masterpiece comes to SACD ------------------------------------------------------------------- Audaud.com review: PURCELL: Dido and Aeneas – Nicola Wemyss (Dido)/ Matthew Baker (Aeneas)/ Francine van der Heijden (Belinda)/ Musica ad Rhenum Choir and Orchestra/ Jed Wentz, conductor – Brilliant Classics Multichannel SACD 92538, ***(*): This recording was originally released in 2005 as 92464 on a 2 disc set that also included the Masque of Cupid & Bacchus, & Galliard’s Pan & Syrinx. Now Brilliant has put Dido alone out on this SACD. It always amuses me when record companies seem to have a crisis of conscience when putting out a recording that they know will be perceived as rather stingy on the overall timing, for in 95% of the cases they omit the total timing from the package completely! Here it is the same, the 56 minutes missing from the notes or back cover. They needn’t have worried here, as most Didos are released without any other couplings, & the price of this hybrid disc makes it worth the money even if the timing had been even less. Dido has always been plagued with performance edition issues. Here the conductor has opted to go with the 1689 libretto, which means that he is using only music that the composer actually composed, having to borrow from a few of his other works to fill in the gaps where the music is missing in the manuscript score. This is a minimalist production, with only 2 violins, viola, viola da gamba, harpsichord, & baroque guitar providing the support. Personally I find it hard to believe that the original production, done for a girl’s school, would have involved so few players, as a performing space of any size at all would drown out these forces. Are we to believe that the concept of an orchestra was unknown in Purcell’s time? Some of the proponents of baroque practice today are rapidly turning the entire era into 1 of miniscule chamber ensembles only, something that simply doesn’t bear up under historical scrutiny. Not that we should revert to large orchestra settings like the ones used in the classic recordings of Barbirolli (with Victoria de los Angeles) or Lewis (with Janet Baker), 2 readings that still send chills down my spine. Or should we? I cannot say what history will ultimately conclude about this issue of orchestral size, but musically I find it untenable that we should always be faced with lowest common denominator performances. Having said this, it is also true that Purcell’s music can withstand, & even thrive in, anything. The recording faces a number of fine competitors, not the least of which are the 2 mentioned above. On their own turf, Christopher Hogwood (Decca) & Andrew Parrott (Chandos) have both given fine readings not quite as paired down as these, & more recently Emmanuelle Haïm has given a star-studded, though maybe not as historically correct—considering her singers—reading on Virgin that I like very much. This recording is quite pleasing overall, but nothing really sticks out as outstanding. Nicola Wemyss’ Dido is quite nice, & her final aria moving & effective. Francine van der Heijden’s Belinda feels a little nagging, & her voice not sufficiently contrasted to Wemyss. Matthew Baker does a creditable job in the ungrateful role of Aeneas (the opera could have just been titled Dido), & the players & chorus are all fully professional & clean in presentation. The surround sound is excellent, though with such small forces I am not sure how effective it really is. If you want this in SACD this is a cheap way to go, & it will satisfy, but if you want to hear the role sung to perfection, you should get Baker or De los Angeles. – Steven Ritter ------------------------------------------------------------------- Available on SACD, Purcell's Didi and Aeneas. It is an exciting interpretation, recorded shortly after Musica ad Rhenum had given a very well-received performance of it, during for the highly critical audience of the Utrecht Early Music Festival. All orchestra parts are played by single (period) instruments clearly exposing the structure of the music. The leader of the ensemble, Baroque specialist Jed Wentz, has reconstructed this opera, adding some “new” pieces by Purcell. These are mainly dances mentioned in the libretto but missing in the manuscripts. SA-CD.net review: http://www.sa-cd.net/showtitle/2886 Tracks: 01Dido & Aeneas: “Overture (Orchestra)” 02Dido & Aeneas: Act the First - Scene: The Palace – “Shake the cloud from off your brow (Belinda/Chorus)” 03Dido & Aeneas: Act the First - Scene: The Palace – “Ah! Belinda, I am press’d with torment (Dido)” 04Dido & Aeneas: Act the First - Scene: The Palace – “Grief increases by concealing(Belinda/Dido/Second Woman/Chorus)” 05Dido & Aeneas: Act the First - Scene: The Palace – “Whence could so much virtue spring? (Dido/Belinda/Second Woman)” 06Dido & Aeneas: Act the First - Scene: The Palace – “Fear no danger to ensue (Belinda/Second Woman/Chorus)” 07Dido & Aeneas: Act the First - Scene: The Palace – “The Baske Dance (Orchestra)” 08Dido & Aeneas: Act the First - Scene: The Palace – “See, your royal guest appears (Belinda/Aeneas/Dido/Chorus)” 09Dido & Aeneas: Act the First - Scene: The Palace – “If not for mine, for Empire’s sake (Aeneas/Belinda/Chorus)” 10Dido & Aeneas: Act the First - Scene: The Palace – “The Triumphing Dance (Orchestra)” 11Dido & Aeneas: Act the Second - Scene One: The Cave – “Wayward sisters, you that fright(Sorceress/First Witch/Chorus)” 12Dido & Aeneas: Act the Second - Scene One: The Cave – “The Queen of Carthage, whom we hate(Sorceress/Chorus/First and Second Witch)” 13Dido & Aeneas: Act the Second - Scene One: The Cave – “But ere we this perform (First and Second Witch/Chorus)” 14Dido & Aeneas: Act the Second - Scene One: The Cave – “Echo Dance of Furies (Orchestra)” 15Dido & Aeneas: Act the Second - Scene Two: The Grove – “Ritornelle (Orchestra)” 16Dido & Aeneas: Act the Second - Scene Two: The Grove – “Thanks to these lonesome vales (Belinda/Chorus)” 17Dido & Aeneas: Act the Second - Scene Two: The Grove – “Oft she visits this lone mountain (Second Woman)” 18Dido & Aeneas: Act the Second - Scene Two: The Grove – “Behold! upon my bending spear (Aeneas/Dido/Chorus)” 19Dido & Aeneas: Act the Second - Scene Two: The Grove – “Stay, Prince, and hear great Jove’s command! (Spirit/Aeneas)” 20Dido & Aeneas: Act the Second - Scene Two: The Grove – “Then since our charms have sped (Sorceress/Chorus)” 21Dido & Aeneas: Act the Second - Scene Two: The Grove – “The Groves’ Dance (Orchestra)” 22Dido & Aeneas: Act the Third - Scene One: The Ships – “Come away, fellow sailors (Sailor/Chorus) 23Dido & Aeneas: Act the Third - Scene One: The Ships – “The Sailors’ Dance (Orchestra)” 24Dido & Aeneas: Act the Third - Scene One: The Ships – “See the flags and streamers curling (Sorceress/First and Second Witch)” 25Dido & Aeneas: Act the Third - Scene One: The Ships – “Our next motion (Sorceress/Chorus)” 26Dido & Aeneas: Act the Third - Scene One: The Ships – “A Dance (Orchestra)” 27Dido & Aeneas: Act the Third - Scene Two – “Your counsel all is urg’d in vain (Dido/Belinda/Aeneas/Chorus)” 28Dido & Aeneas: Act the Third - Scene Two – “Thy hand, Belinda…When I am laid in earth (Dido)” 29Dido & Aeneas: Act the Third - Scene Two – “With drooping wings ye Cupids come (Chorus)” 30Dido & Aeneas: Act the Third - Scene Two – “Cupids’ Dance (Orchestra)” Time: 55:32 Recorded September 13/14 2004 Church Maria Minor, Utrecht, The Netherlands *** Thanks to thehague for dosc & scans *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Checksum for iso: cce0db75b5936f632c7cc2b546adc83f *Purcell - Dido & Aeneas.iso Checksums for flac tracks Mch: 182563e6a05f24babd40e83f2ce7383e *01 - Ouverture.flac a914ff75dc0f10650e34488f1a76c451 *02 - Belinda.flac 246810904ec293d5442969ee9a1e4900 *03 - Dido.flac 9bce6c6af41135fa5ae5d38756119aab *04 - Belinda, Dido and Second Woman.flac bafe3d6ac12e33b04ad1d162c06dd025 *05 - Belinda, Dido and Second Woman.flac adaa129e9999f8deff6b07ac2f732989 *06 - Belinda, and Second Woman.flac 85699c7ae382d6908408ef6c07b69f1c *07 - The Bask Dance.flac af50ea34e0640100e0cf4e965a4312d9 *08 - Belinda, Dido and Aeneas.flac 6ce777a41cf9c7b7844df8705a60a8e0 *09 - Belinda and Aeneas.flac d27777232c66fb1b8245b68ac964d05d *10 - The Triumphing Dance.flac ecd00c025224bcdc4d18a51394c8740c *11 - 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