Download Purcell Dido and aeneas an opera

Purcell
Dido and aeneas
an opera
How is it evident that Dido and
Aeneas was written in the style
suitable for English Masque theatre?
By. Anika Brand
and
norisuke iwahashi
What is an english masque

A form of entertainment, involving costumes, scenery,
dances, music and poetry, that flourished in England
in Tudor and Stuart times (esp. 1601-31).
 The subject matter was usually mythological,
allegorical, or heroic.
 Its musical characteristics:





consists of many dances.
has episodic structure.
affectation of key is evident.
sectionalisation of harmony.
musical declamentation.
Content

Mythological

The characters are from Greek mythology. The account of
the story is given by the Roman poet Virgil in his Aeneid.
Musical declamentation

Speech rhythms



Word paintings


Syllabic and melithmatic
Long and short vowels
‘storm’, ‘fierce’ and ‘valour’(‘Whence could so much virtue
spring’)
Declamentation is tied together harmonically  tonal
sense and reflects dramatic situation.
structure

The opera is in an episodic structure, as a typical
English Masque piece i.e. consists of many pieces,
which each can function as an individual complete
piece.
 Dances (ballet) are placed in between the beginning
and the end of acts (More a theatrical purpose).
e.g. The Triumphing Dance in Act I,
Echo Dance of Furies in Act II, scene i
 Many of Purcell’s dances follow the features of
French dances which are especially significant in
Lully’s works. The features of Lullian dances are:
slow tempo, dotted rhythm and homophonic texture.
Harmony & key signature

EXAMPLE: Whence could so much virtue spring.
 Harmonically: the piece originally starts from C
minor, then resolutes into more G Major (b.23, p94.
Harris). ‘Anchies’ valour’ (b.42-52) is in C Major,
then F Major in ‘Venus’ charms, how soft’ (b.54-6).
 i.e. frequent modulations and accidentals occur.
 But the C harmony dominates throughout.
 These features show the song is a carefully and
strictly measured declamatory song.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Harris, Ellen T. Henry Purcell’s DIDO and
AENEAS. Clarendon Paperbacks 1987. UK.
 Purcell, Henry. Edited by Price, Curtis. Dido
and Aeneas, An Opera. Norton Critical Scores
1986. USA.
 Green, Alison. Dress and Décor: The Baroque
and Rococo Style – Summary. (12/02/09;
http://www.theatre.ubc.ca/dress_decor/baroqu
e_rococo_summary.htm)
