Dido and Aeneas: La Nuova Musica

Ann Murray’s Dido once again shows the extraordinary quality of this seasoned performer’s voice, unfailingly pure, lyrical and yet precise. But more than this, Murray delivers an emotionally charged performance that is a fine balance of that vocal skill with dramatic skill. Benjamin Appl is equally fine of voice, but as yet does not deliver the same sense of drama in his performance, however with eyes closed he is emotionally engaging. The entire company deliver Purcell’s opera with great skill and style and personally I enjoyed the dancers who went through courtly, erotic and angst-ridden beautifully, and at the moments when the score demanded dance. A word also for Charlotte Beamant who as Belinda delivered some very fine singing and exquisite ornamentation. Billed as a concert performance this semi-staged production more that exceeded expectations.
8 May
Theatre Royal Brighton
Andrew Kay
5 stars