“Dido and Aeneas” – three concert performances of the pearl of English Baroque in Poland
Henry Purcell’s three-act opera “Dido and Aeneas” is a Baroque masterpiece with a libretto by Nahum Tate, based on Book IV of Virgil’s “Aeneid.” The work tells the story of the tragic love between Dido, Queen of Carthage, and the Trojan hero Aeneas, who, compelled by divine command, must leave the empress. Dido, consumed by despair, ultimately chooses death. Tate introduced elements absent in the original epic, such as the Sorceress and her witches, who conspire to separate the titular lovers.
Henry Purcell (1659–1695) is regarded as the most outstanding composer of English Baroque and one of the central figures of European music of his time. As a child, he sang at the Chapel Royal and later became an organist at Westminster Abbey. He composed works of diverse character, including cantatas, songs, sacred music, and occasional odes. “Dido and Aeneas” remains his only full-length opera and his only entirely sung drama. The famous aria “When I am Laid in Earth,” widely known as Dido’s Lament, is considered one of the most moving vocal pieces of the Baroque era.
The opera was likely composed for courtly occasions, possibly commissioned by Charles II or James II. Purcell drew inspiration from works such as John Blow’s “Venus and Adonis” and Francesco Cavalli’s “Didone.” The exact date of composition is uncertain, with sources suggesting either 1683 or the period between 1688 and 1689. The earliest documented performance took place at Josias Priest’s girls’ school in Chelsea, London.
After its premiere at Josias Priest’s school, the opera was not staged during Purcell’s lifetime. Its first modern performance was prepared in 1895 at the Royal College of Music in London to mark the bicentenary of the composer’s death. From the early 20th century, “Dido and Aeneas” gradually returned to the repertoire, becoming one of the most frequently performed Baroque operas in both Europe and the United States.
Purcell’s original manuscript has not survived. The oldest extant score dates from the mid-18th century and is based on a secondary source. Consequently, missing sections—including the prologue and some dances—are today reconstructed by musicologists.
This autumn, “Dido and Aeneas” will be performed in Poland three times, each in a concert version. The Warsaw Chamber Opera will present it twice – first on October 2 at the Witold Lutosławski Polish Radio Concert Studio in Warsaw, and then on October 4 at the Gdańsk Shakespeare Theatre as part of the ORGANy PLUS+ festival. Soloists in both performances will include Dorota Szczepańska (Dido), Artur Janda (Aeneas), Teresa Marut (Belinda), Magdalena Stefaniak (Woman/Lady), Joanna Motulewicz (Sorceress), Anna Koehler (First Witch), Anna Górska (Second Witch), and Zbigniew Malak (Sailor). They will be accompanied by the Warsaw Chamber Opera Vocal Ensemble under the direction of Krzysztof Kusiel-Moroz and the Warsaw Chamber Opera Early Music Ensemble – Musicae Antiquae Collegium Varsoviense (MACV) led by Dirk Vermeulen, who is also responsible for the overall musical direction of the project.
Additionally, on November 8, 2025, “Dido and Aeneas” will be performed at the 31st Iubilaei Cantus Music Festival in Nowy Sącz. The concert will coincide with the 733rd anniversary of the founding of Nowy Sącz, the 350th anniversary of Henry Purcell’s death, and the 40th anniversary of the International Ada Sari Vocal Art Competition, initiated by MCK SOKÓŁ. The names of the performers have not yet been announced, but they are expected to include finalists and laureates of the Nowy Sącz competition.
Who? What? Where? When?
“Dido and Aeneas” by Henry Purcell
October 2, 2025 / Witold Lutosławski Polish Radio Concert Studio, Warsaw
October 4, 2025 / Gdańsk Shakespeare Theatre
November 8, 2025 / Małopolskie Centrum Kultury SOKÓŁ, Nowy Sącz