Cavalli : La Didone

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[ DVD – BLU-RAY ]

At the dawn of opera, Dido’s burning fate comes vividly to life under the inspired direction of William Christie and in Clément Hervieu-Léger’s elegant staging.

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Description

About

Cavalli : La Didone

At the dawn of opera, Dido’s burning fate comes vividly to life under the inspired direction of William Christie.

A leading figure of the generation that followed Monteverdi, Francesco Cavalli was the most celebrated opera composer of his time in Italy. Inspired by the famous episode from Virgil’s Aeneid, La Didone is a work of striking dramatic intensity, transforming Aeneas’s abandonment of the Queen of Carthage into a profound exploration of human passion and destiny.

A pupil and later collaborator of Monteverdi, Cavalli forged a musical language of remarkable expressiveness. Natural, deeply moving recitatives, dazzling ensembles, powerful choruses and comic scenes rooted in the commedia dell’arte tradition unfold with extraordinary freedom, vitality and modernity.

In this production directed by Clément Hervieu-Léger, Anna Bonitatibus delivers a compelling portrayal of Dido, supported by an outstanding cast. At the helm of Les Arts Florissants, William Christie brings to light the richness, dramatic power and emotional depth of this seminal work, a true jewel of the seventeenth-century Venetian repertoire.

Distribution

Cavalli : La Didone [DVD & Blu-ray]

Dramma per musica in one prologue and three acts

Music : Francesco Cavalli (1602-1676)
Libretto : Giovanni Francesco Busenello

Didone : Anna Bonitatibus
Enea : Kresimir Spicer
Iarba : Xavier Sabata
Ecuba : Maria Streijffert
Cassandra : Katherine Watson
Creusa, Giunone : Tehila Nini Goldstein
Anna, Fortuna : Mariana Rewerski
Venere, Iride : Claire Debono
Anchise : Victor Torres
Corebo, Eolo : Valerio Contaldo
Ilioneo, Mercurio : Mathias Vidal
Acate, Sicheo : Joseph Cornwell
Sinon Greco, Giove : Francisco Javier Borda

Les Arts Florissants
Conductor: William Christie

Stage direction: Clément Hervieu-Léger

Set design: Éric Ruf
Lighting design: Bertrand Couderc
Costume design: Caroline de Vivaise
Literary advisor: Pierre Judet de la Combe

Press review

“A superb introduction to La Didone, led by William Christie with beautifully realised period style […] Clément Hervieu-Léger, in his operatic directorial debut, draws powerful and moving characterisations from a remarkable cast.” — OPERA NEWS

“This opera is no mere antiquarian museum piece. It is vital lyric theatre […] deeply involving and richly rewarding. The musical results are superb, while Clément Hervieu-Léger’s staging proves both simple and strikingly effective.” — AMERICAN RECORD GUIDE

“There are no weak links in the cast, who impress as a true ensemble of actors […] Les Arts Florissants perform with enormous style.” — BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE

“Anna Bonitatibus is outstanding as Dido, while Krešimir Špicer is deeply moving as Aeneas […] elegant, well-paced conducting from William Christie.” — GRAMOPHONE

“A magnificent production in which the simple sets, streamlined costumes and stage movement are entirely at the service of the emotional core of the text and music […] an intensely intimate and deeply engaging experience.” — MUSICAL TORONTO

“If you wish to have only one Cavalli recording in your collection, this would be among the strongest contenders […] William Christie’s direction all but guarantees a performance of the highest calibre, supported by a first-rate cast.” — MUSICWEB INTERNATIONAL

Technical informations

HD recording : Théâtre de Caen | 10/2011
TV direction : Olivier Simonnet
Release date : 01 August 2012
Distribution : Naxos Distribution

1 DVD
Reference : OA1080D
Barcode : 809478010807
Running time : 176 min.
Subtitles : FR / ENG / DE
Image : Color, 16/9, NTSC
Sound : PCM 2.0, DTS 5.1
Region code : 0

1 BLU-RAY
Reference : OABD7106D
Barcode : 809478071068
Running time : 176 min.
Subtitles : FR / ENG / DE
Image : Color, 16/9, Full HD
Sound : PCM 2.0, DTS 5.1
Region code : A, B, C

About Opus Arte

Founded as a production company by Hans Petri in 1999, Opus Arte released its first DVD in 2001. From the outset, the label has been releasing recordings from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, one of the closest and longest-standing relationships they have had. So much so that in 2007 the ROH acquired Opus Arte, which in turn became their in-house DVD label. In 2018 the label joined the Naxos family, although its continues to work very closely with the ROH and maintains its base of operations at the Royal Opera House in London.

Opus Arte now boasts a catalogue of over 800 programmes, including recordings in 4K, 3-D and Dolby ATMOS, and was one of the first labels to release high definition content on Blu-ray. They proudly associate with many of the world’s finest arts organisations, which aside from the Royal Opera House includes Glyndebourne, Dutch National Opera & Ballet, Teatro Real, Bayreuth, Shakespeare’s Globe and the Royal Shakespeare Company.

As of 2024, Naxos, Opus Arte and Bel Air Classiques have agreed to pull their resources together to further highlight their shared values of artistic excellence, innovation and transmission.

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