CMSC makes foray into opera with Henry Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas
Debutants: The CMSC Chorale
The Chamber Music Society of Colombo presents Henry Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, opera in concert, at the Lionel Wendt on Tuesday, October 30 at 7.30 p.m.
The female lead Dido will be sung by Sri Lankan soprano Kishani Jayasinghe and male lead Aeneas by British-Australian baritone Grant Doyle, accompanied by the Orchestra of the Chamber Music Society of Colombo (CMSC), directed by Gregory Rose. The event will also be the debut of the CMSC Chorale directed by Harin Amirthanathan.
“Dido and Aeneas is as English as it gets,” Artistic Director of the CMSC Lakshman Joseph de Saram explains the choice of opera. “For everyone, choir, singers, orchestra, conductor, working in a language we don’t have to translate is always that much easier. We could have done an Italian opera or German or Japanese if you want. But since this is our first crack at an opera, we thought it best that we all absolutely know what we’re saying.”
Dido and Aeneas, with a libretto by Nahum Tate, is based on Book IV of Virgil’s Aeneid. It recounts the tragic love story of Dido, the Queen of Carthage, and Aeneas, the Trojan hero. Dido and Aeneas is not only considered Purcell’s most important theatrical work, but also a landmark composition in Baroque opera.
“It is one of the greatest operas, and Purcell is the Shakespeare of this kind of music,” says de Saram, revealing that CMSC plans to make its opera in concert an annual event.
The CMSC is starting small. “The components required are right up our street,” says de Saram. “We don’t have a 300-member chorus and a 90-member orchestra or a pit that can hold them all.” Instead of a grand ambitious project, what will take the stage on the 30th Tuesday (incidentally a part of the 10th anniversary celebration of the CMSC) is passionately and intelligently sung opera.
Tickets priced Rs. 3,000, Rs. 2,500, Rs. 2,000 and Rs.1,500 are now available at the Lionel Wendt box office. Seats in the balcony are reserved and are not available for purchase.