For a short opera, “Dido and Aeneas” packs a mighty punch.
It’s hard to overstate the significance of Purcell’s poignant 17th century masterwork — or its lingering impact on music today. With a running time of just under an hour, the opera set a high bar for tragic works in the centuries to come.
Opera San Jose’s new production, which brings the company back to the California Theatre after more than 18 months without in-person performances, promises a thrilling reminder of why “Dido” is an opera for all time.
Directed by Elkhanah Pulitzer, conducted by music director Joseph Mancheso, and starring mezzo-soprano Nikola Printz and baritone Efrain Solís in the title roles, the production also features Maya Kherani as Belinda, bass-baritone Nathan Stark as the Sorcerer, and dancers from the San Jose Dance Theatre.
Based on an episode from the “Aeneid,” Virgil’s epic tale of the founding of Rome, the opera focuses on the Trojan prince Aeneas and Dido, the Carthage queen. En route to Rome, Aeneas is sidelined by their ecstatic love affair, with tragic results.
Written when the composer was just 30 years old, Purcell’s score is an indelible portrait of grief — but Printz says there’s also enchantment and profound moments of humanity in the opera.
“It’s incredibly moving,” Printz, who uses the pronouns they and them, said in a recent interview. “It’s also a very nuanced tale of a ruler.”
“The story is timeless,” they added. “It’s a tragedy, but there are moments of levity, of love and flirtation. Still, it speaks to the archetypes of extreme emotion: rage and jealousy and utter sadness.”
Director Pulitzer calls the opera “a complicated and nuanced tale of a ruler — the vacillating roles of a woman and a queen. It’s fascinating to watch the struggle between what an individual desires and what a state requires. If you suddenly have a consort or a union, what does that mean in terms of your autonomy? Aeneas is nothing to scoff at — a prince and a half-god from Venus. There’s a lot going on with that.”
From his point of view, Solís sees Aeneas as a man in a state of extreme conflict. “He’s caught between having to make this decision: does he pursue love or duty? Anyone striving for some kind of career comes up on this. He says ‘I will follow love,’ but it’s too late. There’s a reason that operas like this have endured: it’s very relatable.”
Dido’s great set piece, “When I Am Laid in Earth” — also known as “Dido’s Lament” — has become a standard in concerts and recordings. Printz recalls hearing it “since before I was an opera singer. I remember Jeff Buckley singing it, but not knowing the context.
“Since then I’ve sung it a billion times throughout my education and career. But I sing it differently now, knowing the journey Dido has taken. This opera is short, but there’s so much that happens. It’s jam-packed, non-stop. It has to hit each mark for the story to advance, and keeping that energy and that throughline going is somehow more difficult for being shorter.”
Dido, adds Printz, is a mercurial character throughout. “She starts the opera being really resistant — of course, she finds Aeneas attractive, but she doesn’t want to give up her power. Her sadness is coming from this idea that she must have a partner in order to rule.
“When she meets Aeneas, she thinks, ‘Here’s someone who doesn’t want to marry me for political power.’ When he has to leave, it’s heartbreaking.”
Despite its beloved status in the opera world, there’s no one definitive score for “Dido,” notes Pulitzer. “Looking at all the different materials available was really fun,” she said. “There’s multiple variations on the libretto, speculation about what pieces are missing, all that kind of stuff. Maestro Marcheso and I had a lot of conversations early on about what’s in and out. I felt it was important to stay true to what existed in the material and not add things from other sources.
“But there are two improvisational guitar sections — and those are in. They’re sometimes optional. But for me, they seemed pivotal as one of the dramatic turning points in the story. And it feels as fresh as it probably did 300 years ago.”
Printz praises Pulitzer’s staging — “I think of it in the way that ‘Star Wars’ is in the far future, but it also seems like it’s in the past” — and Solís says the director has infused the production with beauty. “Elkhanah has really focused on the connection between Dido and Aeneas. I love what she’s done to tease out their relationship: Dido is my whole focus in the show.” (He and Printz, he notes, have known each other since their conservatory days, and they often go rock climbing together.)
Now that theaters are reopening after more than a year of pandemic closures, the heightened world of “Dido and Aeneas” seems an apt starting place for these artists.
“In a way, this opera is terribly modern,” says Printz. “And it feels honest. I think people want to see honesty onstage now.”
Contact Georgia Rowe at growe@pacbell.net
‘DIDO AND AENEAS’
By Henry Purcell, presented by Opera San Jose
When: Nov. 13-28
Where: California Theatre, San Jose
Safety: Proof of vaccination required for entry and masks must be worn inside the theater
Tickets: $55-$195; www.operasj.org
Source: www.mercurynews.com