PARADIGMS OF THE TEXT–MUSIC CORRELATION IN HENRY PURCELL’S OPERA “DIDO AND AENEAS”

Abstract

The present analysis proposes an insight into the celebrated world of Henry Purcell by approaching an important work among the baroque operas, remembered as one of the composer’s foremost stage works. We intend to demonstrate the strong co-dependent relationship between the text and the music of Purcell’s opera by illustrating the way the compositional elements come together to accurately depict a music that remains true to the text. The fragments chosen to prove the aforementioned premise will be solo parts, as well as duet or choral parts meant to be analyzed from the point of view of the compositional process. Consequently, we plan to present a small part of the genius of Henry Purcell, a composer who recognized the powerful impact that words have and doubled them with an equally eloquent music