DVD + Blu-Ray:
Purcell: Dido and Aeneas / Opéra Comique

Dido and Aeneas brilliantly staged by Deborah Warner with Malena Ernman, Christopher Maltman and Les Arts Florissants under William Christie's direction.

Opera in a prologue and three acts, Z. 626 (1689)
Libretto by Nahum Tate after Virgil’s Aeneid

Henry Purcell was a genius whose ability to combine French and Italian influences transported the English language to new levels of expression in music. Dido and Aeneas were pioneering in its day and is considered one of Purcell’s foremost theatrical works, with a moving tale of love, betrayal and tragedy that has proved to be of unceasing appeal to audiences for centuries. Deborah Warner’s brilliant stage direction combines period colour with present-day dynamism, while William Christie’s affection for this opera shines through in an overwhelmingly acclaimed performance filmed in December 2008 at the Opéra Comique in Paris.

Dido – Malena Ernman, mezzo-soprano
Aeneas – Christopher Maltman, baritone
Belinda – Judith van Wanroij, soprano
Sorceress – Hilary Summers, mezzo-soprano
Second Woman – Lina Markeby, soprano
First Witch – Céline Ricci, soprano
Second Witch – Ana Quintans, soprano
Spirit – Marc Mauillon, baritone
Sailor – Damian Whiteley, baritone
Prologue – Fiona Shaw, actress

Les Arts Florissants
Conductor, Harpsichord and Organ – William Christie
Stage Director – Deborah Warner

Film Director – François Roussillon
Filmed on 7 and 9 December 2008 at the Opéra Comique, Paris, France

2.110709 / NBD0140V
Total playing time: 66 minutes
Language: English · Subtitles: English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean
DVD: NTSC 16:9 · PCM stereo and DTS 5.1 · DVD 9 · Region: 0 (Worldwide)
BD: HD 16:9 · PCM stereo and DTS-MA 5.1 · BD 25 · Region: A, B, C