Blanca Li Dido and Æneas

English composer Henry Purcell wrote a brief opera about the tragic love of queen Dido and prince Aeneas which is one of the baroque masterpieces. Over this sublime score recorded by William Christie’s ensemble Les Arts Florissants, Blanca Li created a show particularly attuned to our present time. Alas, what’s more relevant than a love undermined by tradition and antiquated social norms? Or worse still, by harmful rumors disseminated by renown, an evil witch or social media? While staying true to the libretto by poet Nahum Tate, and inspired by Virgil’s Aeneid, the choreographer emphasizes what the music and text leave unspoken through her meandering and airy dance. Forming one shifting collective body, her 10 performers, propelled by constant motion, embody the wide range of emotions experienced by the characters. The graphic lighting of Pascal Laajili and the pared down costumes of Laurent Mercier help to give the drama a spacy and suggestive power that is both contemporary and poetic.  A visual and auditory treat.

Isabelle Calabre