The story takes its starting point in the tragic epos The Aeneid by the Roman poet Vergil. A story about the hero Aeneas on his quest to find a new Kingdom after having lost the battle of Troy. Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, however, is more interested in the thrilling moment when Queen Dido meets Aeneas and fatally falls in love with him. The question is, will they defy their fate and follow their own free will, or must they give in to the will of the gods?
Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas
Dido and Aeneas is one of Henry Purcell’s most beloved theatrical works, and is also one of the defining moments in British music history - often cited as "the birth of British opera". Its origins are somewhat shrouded in mystery, and the score handed down to us from Purcell’s time is incomplete - parts of the opera no longer exist. Perhaps this is why Dido and Aeneas seems so timeless, as the gaps in the storyline leave it open for different interpretations.
Barokksolistene has performed Dido and Aeneas on stages in Norway (including The Norwegian Opera in 2019), Denmark (Den Ny Opera, Esbjerg, 2023) and in the UK (Longborough Festival Opera, 2025, staged, and with Royal Northern Sinfonia, 2026, concertante with full orchestra and choir).
Our approach is always the same - that we, the musicians, are on stage with the singers and are part of the action. We always perform the opera from memory so that we can move around and create a dynamic atmosphere.
