Ash-Morgan, Lauren

Fishman, Melanie

Hansen, Patrick

Hertz, Brian

English

Ithaca College

Ithaca CollegeDigital Commons @ ICAll Concert & Recital Programs Concert & Recital Programs11-9-2004Concert: Dido & AeneasPatrick HansenBrian HertzMelanie FishmanLauren Ash-MorganFollow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.ithaca.edu/music_programsPart of the Music CommonsThis Program is brought to you for free and open access by the Concert & Recital Programs at Digital Commons @ IC. It has been accepted forinclusion in All Concert & Recital Programs by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ IC.Recommended CitationHansen, Patrick; Hertz, Brian; Fishman, Melanie; and Ash-Morgan, Lauren, "Concert: Dido & Aeneas" (2004). All Concert & RecitalPrograms. 3416.https://digitalcommons.ithaca.edu/music_programs/3416•. l>i~o and Aeneas Opera-in Three Acts · . Music by Henry Purcell · Li.brett6 by.Nahum.Tate ~~rd'Hali . , . .. Wednesda:y; .. Nqv~mber 9, 2004 · · · 8:15 p.m.· · .· IT l>ido and Aeneas Opera in Three Acts Music by Henry Purcell Libretto by Nahum Tate Music and Stage Direction Musical Preparation Assistant Directors Continuo Players Cast Dido, Queen of Carthage Aeneas, the Trojan Hero Belinda, Dido's confidante Second Woman;'a courtier Carthage Citizens: Courtiers: A Sorceress First Witch Second Witch An .Elected Leader A Spirit Quartet of Witches: A Sailor Sailors Une chambre gentilhomme Patrick Hansen Brian Hertz Melanie Fishman, Lauren Ash-Morgan Meredith Gollmer, Patrick Hansen, Brian Hertz Alexandra Loutsion Philip Thomblade Sara Barasch Tiffany Desmond Jilliann Law, Amy Pratt, Lani Toyama, Johanna OeJose, Jessica Gadani, Jennifer Hahn Andrew DenBleyker, Todd Laf~r· · John Marnell, Stephen Buck, ·'"'··· · Anthony Gangitario, Dan Richards Kimberly Buczek, . Karla Faggard, Amberly Foulkrod, Megan Gebert Zachary James Krista Beth Donaugh Rachele Armstrong Christopher Hollowell Carrie Erving Denise Crawfort, Rebecca Kutz, Dan Lawler, Steve Uliana Andrew Main Meagan Johnson Srnith, Beth Reichgott R. B; Schlather Setting: "This is the century of fear" - Albert Camus Director's Notes: "When fear is excessive it can make many a man despair." -Thomas Aquinas ('""·,,,he first known performance of Purcell's masterpiece was given at • che same girls' school where Blow's Venus and .Adonis was performed. Scholars assume this date to be somewhere around April of 1689. The libretto is an interesting amalgam of Tate's own ideas taken from a portion of Virgil's Aeneid. There are some significant differentes, however. First and foremost, the Sorceress and her witch companions were a seventeenth-century creation -part of that era's tradition of using the supernatural in dramatic stories. In Virgil's tale, Aeneas is. instructed to leave Dido to. found the city of Rome by the real Mercury (who is acting on instructions from Jupiter.) In the Tate, the "Spirit" is. sent by the Sorceress in the form of Mercury to. convince Aeneas he must leave - thereby causing the tragedy of Dido's death. This tragedy is what the witches are after - "Elissa's Ruin"; (before Dido became the queen, herhame was Elissa.) I believe that the tragedy of Dido and Aeneas happens because Dido ,i' Joseshope and falls into despair. The events are turned because ,1, ''fate" or the "powers" cause Aeneas to follow his word ofhonor ~~ and obey,his duty. If the gods decree it must be so, then it must.be so. Even though he will cause his love's death, he must obey. Both Dido and Aeneas are powerless because they have given up their ability to choose· their own fate. So - loss of liberty, loss of personal freedom, despair caused by loss of hope, fear of this powerlessness, fear of supernatural forces lurking in caves, obeying gods who decree fate, obeying the power structure ... these are some of the issues that lie at the heart of this English operatic masterpiece. "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our . . darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to ;nake manifest the glory of God that is within us .. It's not just in some .of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own. fear, our presence automatically liberates others." ,.. Nelson Mandela "Naturally the common people. doil'f wa:µt ·war;. neither in Russia, nor in England, nor in America, nor in Germany. That is understood .. But after all,· it is the leaders of the country who determine policy, and it is. always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship; or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice the people can. al·w. ay. s b.· e brougptto the. bi· ..dding .of the lea. de .. ts. That ii""" easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attack~d, .and , . · denounce the pacifists.for lack of patriotism: and exposing t.he country to danger. It works the same in any country;:' · - Hermann Goering · "The middle of the· road is where the white line is, and that's the . worst place to drive.''/ - Robert Frost How many ofus are afraid? How many ~fus.are afrnid to haye 1an opinion that deviates tbo far from the group? Ho.w many of us tutn on our televisfons to ~ee· war, death,. poverty, infomercials, dr political spin masters spinning their gospels? How many of us . want to Qe more beautiful, have white teeth, own the new Toyota SUV, buy the right cle>the~ from the'. right store ..,.. alLih hope that , these things might :make.us happy, .Jess scared, less vulnerable?· ' Ho~ many ofu~ listen when. a celebrity tells us what they think an~ why they are happy?·· Are we living our lives vicati9usly through ,a new aristocracy? Who are the gods' how and are they ·.·.'c···  \ · telling us what our fate should be? •·<,>'C 

Concert: Dido & Aeneas

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Concert: Dido & Aeneas

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