Class 1: "Dido and Aeneas"

Q AND A

You keep talking about the composer, but isn't opera a collaborative medium?
Indeed it is! Two main types of collaboration are involved here (and it so happens that I have experience as the collaborating partner in each case). One is the librettist. While a very few composers (most notably Wagner) write their own texts, most collaborate with a separate playwright, who generally writes the text before the music. But since he or she generally consults extensively with the composer in the process, and writes with the full knowledge that the music will eventually subsume the words, it is simpler to think of the composer as having the decisive input in both functions.

What about the physical production?
The other collaboration is that in any given production between stage director and conductor. Whereas the conductor is responsible for realizing the music of the composer's score, the stage director has a less direct type of interpretation: responsible for imagining the visual world, character interplay, and action that makes dramatic sense of that music. Since I play operas in this course using videos, it is easy to think that the visual interpretation in the video is the inevitable expression of the music. But it isn't. Though some modern directors will go way beyond left field in reimagining an opera, the best stick very closely to what is stated—or certainly implied—in the score. So in showing a video, I am asking you to perform a feat of imagination too: to try to discount the decisions of a particular director, and look at each production merely as a window on the score. It is not easy, I admit. I might consider coming back another semester, if you'll have me, and offering a course entirely focused on this relationship.

Dido and Aeneas is a very early opera. How much do the points you raised apply to later ones?
The important distinction between music-time and drama-time applies to all operas. Since a composer engages your emotions by taking control of the pulse, any opera will contain passages that move out of everyday time, often slower but occasionally faster; I call this music-time. But if people are to understand what is going on, there have to be passages of dialogue or action that take place more or less in real time, or as I call it, drama-time. All operas have some combination of both. Later operas will generally apply the music-time principle to longer arias, plus duets, trios, and even full ensembles. A bigger difference is how later composers treat drama-time. Handel, Mozart, Rossini, and Donizetti will make an even clearer distinction between passages using the orchestra and dry recitative accompanied only by harpsichord. Composers such as Wagner, late Verdi, and Puccini will try to make these distinctions less obvious, but structurally they are still there, because that it how opera works.

I found the number-breakdown charts helpful; can you send these out in advance?
I don't know that I have such charts in every class, but for those that do, I'll try to put advance copies online. However, I won't do this until I come to review each class the day before giving it. So come back on the Wednesday evening or Thursday morning; anything I have will be posted.

VIDEO LINKS

The bad news is that the Royal Opera House production of Dido that we watched in class is available only through Dido's Lament and a brief trailer. The good news is that every other clip played in class is available and listed below. The even better news (or perhaps TMI?) is that there are a lot of other productions out there on YouTube. Here are a few that especially appealed to me. There are three staged in more or less period style, plus another updated to a modern office setting. L'Arpeggiata, the fifth on the list, is known for an unusually bouncy approach to baroque music; the clip below is cued to the start of the opera, but go back for half an hour of additional material that is played almost like rock! Finally, choreographer Mark Morris made the whole opera into a ballet, with himself as Dido; it is an old video, but surprisingly effective.

Versailles. Very elaborate staging in a baroque theatre.
Combattimento Consort. Not a great video, but interesting use of sandpit setting
Modena. Apparently a pandemic production using full auditorium, but in pariod costumes.
Paris Conservatoire. Updated setting to a modern office!
L'Arpeggiata. Semi-staged; see above.
Mark Morris. Danced throughout; see above.

And talking of TMI, I supplemented the two Laments we heard with a few more that are worth watching for different reasons. The first three are pretty much straight. The last one sounds straight, but the whole thing is a marvelous music video with a story told backwards in a modern London setting; do watch it!

Maria Ewing. All that remains of an ultra-lush film of the opera.
Malena Ernman. All that remains of a full production in strict period style.
Joyce DiDonato. In concert; an exquisite performance.
Lea Desandre. In concert with only three players, making for a very transparent performance.
Helen Charlson. Music video, see above.

*Asterisks indicate clips that were played in class.

AS SEEN IN CLASS
	Royal Opera House	* trailer (poor quality video) * Dido's Lament
	Musical excerpts	* Ah, Belinda * Fear no danger to pursue * When I am laid in Earth (Eva Zaïcik & Le Consort) * — my own video of the above (with annotated score)
OTHER COMPLETE PRODUCTIONS
	Versailles	* complete, staged (very elaborate production)
	Combattimento Consort	* complete, staged (sandpit; slightly blurred video)
	Modena	* complete, staged (COVID staging)
	Paris Conservatoire	* complete, staged (updated production)
	L'Arpeggiata	* semi-staged, with prologue (with quasi-rock pre-concert!)
	Mark Morris Dance Group	* complete, as a ballet (Morris himself plays Dido)
OTHER LAMENTS
	Maria Ewing	* aria to the end of the opera (a lavishly-staged film)
	Malena Ernman	* aria and chorus (in period costume)
	Joyce DiDonato	* aria only, in concert (valuable for chamber accompaniment)
	Lea Desandre	* aria only, with three-instruments (Les Arts Florissants)
	Helen Charlson	* video inspired by Coldplay (backwards narrative in London setting)


IMAGES
The thumbnails below cover the slides shown in class, though there may be a few small discrepancies. Click the thumbnail to see a larger image. Click on the right or left of the larger picture to go forward or back, or outside it to close.