For parents attempting to link the study of music to the study of history, the period of ancient history presents an obvious difficulty: few to no recordings of music from the period. However, the list of music about ancient history is long. In a short series of posts, I’ll look at music which takes its inspiration from the myths, people and events of ancient history, and I’ll offer some links to recordings and performances to use in studying them.
This post focuses on a piece that is connected to Troy, Carthage, the Aeneid, and Greek mythology in general: Henry Prucell’s opera Dido and Aeneas. Below I outline a simple method for approaching unfamiliar musical works: ask what, who, when, where, why and how. You might try giving these questions to your students and asking them to find the answers. Excerpts of possible answers are given below, along with some suggested resources and recordings. When you’re finished, find some recordings and enjoy!
What kind of piece is this? Dido and Aeneas is a three-act opera based on the story of Dido and Aeneas from ancient Greek mythology.
Who wrote it? When did he/she live? English composer Henry Purcell (1659-1695) wrote the music of the opera. The libretto – the text of the opera – was written by Nahum Tate (1652-1715) and is based on Book Four of Virgil’s Aeneid.
When was the piece written? What else was happening at that time? The work was first performed in 1689. In 1688, the long-standing debate over the role of the monarchy in English government culminated in the Glorious Revolution.
Where was the piece written and first performed? The opera was first performed in London at Josias Priest’s boarding school for young ladies in Chelsea, London. The action of the opera is set in Carthage, which is believed to have been founded around 814 B.C.
Why was the piece written? Was it for a particular occasion? No, it was not.
Is there anything noteworthy about how it was composed? Why is it known today? One of the most famous selections from this opera is Dido’s Lament, sung in the third act. Aeneas has been commanded to found a new Troy. Believing – in error – that this command has come from the gods, he agrees, though it will mean leaving Dido. When Dido learns of his plans, she slowly dies of grief, singing “When I am laid in earth.” The aria – a song that focuses on one emotion within the opera – is written over a ground bass.
Following are three very different interpretations of Dido’s Lament. The third one includes a bit of the recitative, or “speech,” that comes just before Dido laments her fate.
What differences do you note? Which of the three performances did you enjoy most and why?
Suitable answers to the above questions can be found among the following resources: The Harvard Dictionary of Music, The Harvard Biographical Dictionary of Music, World Book Encyclopedia, The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, and Great Events from History (a multi-volume work available at many libraries). Useful websites include a synopsis and discussion of the opera. Many other resources may work as well.
Next post – a musical rendition of the Orpheus story.
