Wild, passionate, and over in less than an hour, Purcell's Dido and Aeneas is one of the greatest operas ever composed and it has received some of the greatest performances of any opera ever recorded. And while some of them have been sung with more refinement or more fervor, few can match this performance with Susan Graham as Dido and Ian Bostridge as Aeneas for wild passion. Bostridge, always a passionate interpreter, tears into Aeneas with more excitement than he's brought to any other role, filling his Aeneas with strength, dedication, dignity, and overwhelming passion. And Graham, always an ardent and brilliant performer, is more affecting than any Dido since de Los Angeles, filling her Dido with warmth, love, sensuality, and overwhelming passion. The rest of the singers are all excellent, but Felicity Lott is superlative as an uncanny Sorceress and David Daniels is superb as a strange spirit. Emmanuelle Haim directs a dramatic performance from the harpsichord and Le Concert d'Astrée provides a vivid and evocative accompaniment. Virgin's sound is intimate in the intimate sections, huge in the big sections, and incredibly effective. Anyone who loves Dido and Aeneas, or even just great opera, will love this disc.
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