The text, and Purcell's opera, alludes to the Aeneid, the Roman legend of the Trojan warrior Aeneas, travelling to Italy from the betrayed and fallen Troy in order to settle there and secure his son Ascanius's lineage. Their ship is blown off course from Sicily, and they land on the shore of North Africa, in Carthage, a town newly settled by refugees from Tyre. Aeneas falls in love with their queen, Dido, but dutifully departs for Italy, leaving her. Distraught at his betrayal, she orders a pyre to be built and set ablaze so that Aeneas will see from his ship that she has killed herself. She sings the lament before stabbing herself as Aeneas sails on.
Dido's Lament opens with a descending chromatic fourth line, the ground bass,
which is repeated eleven times throughout the aria, thus structuring the piece in the form of a passacaglia. The meter is 3 2 in the key of G minor.
Henry Purcell has applied word painting on the words "laid", which is also given a descending chromatic line portraying death and agony,
and "remember me", which is presented in a syllabic text setting and repeated
with its last presentation leaping in register with a sudden crescendo
displaying her desperate cry with urgency as she prepares for her fate: death. In one interpretation, Dido's relationship with Aeneas is portrayed in this moment as an "apocalyptic romance".[2]
Text
Dido's Lament from Purcell's opera Dido and Aeneas, Z. 626
Recitative Thy hand, Belinda, darkness shades me, On thy bosom let me rest, More I would, but Death invades me; Death is now a welcome guest.
Aria When I am laid, am laid in earth, May my wrongs create No trouble, no trouble in thy breast; Remember me, remember me, but ah! forget my fate. Remember me, but ah! forget my fate.
dido, lament, aria, when, laid, earth, from, opera, dido, aeneas, henry, purcell, libretto, nahum, tate, source, source, source, source, source, source, source, source, source, source, source, source, source, source, source, source, desandre, performs, with, a. Dido s Lament is the aria When I am laid in earth from the opera Dido and Aeneas by Henry Purcell libretto by Nahum Tate source source source source source source source source source source source source source source source source Lea Desandre performs Dido s Lament with Les Arts Florissants in 2020 Dido s Lament chromatic fourth ground bass measures 1 6 1 source source source It is included in many classical music textbooks on account of its exemplary use of the passus duriusculus in the ground bass The conductor Leopold Stokowski wrote a transcription of the piece for symphony orchestra It is played annually in London by the massed bands of the Guards Division at the Cenotaph remembrance parade in Whitehall on Remembrance Sunday the Sunday nearest to November 11 Armistice Day Contents 1 The Aeneid 2 Analysis 3 Text 4 Sources 5 External linksThe Aeneid Edit Opening source source source Problems playing this file See media help The text and Purcell s opera alludes to the Aeneid the Roman legend of the Trojan warrior Aeneas travelling to Italy from the betrayed and fallen Troy in order to settle there and secure his son Ascanius s lineage Their ship is blown off course from Sicily and they land on the shore of North Africa in Carthage a town newly settled by refugees from Tyre Aeneas falls in love with their queen Dido but dutifully departs for Italy leaving her Distraught at his betrayal she orders a pyre to be built and set ablaze so that Aeneas will see from his ship that she has killed herself She sings the lament before stabbing herself as Aeneas sails on Analysis EditThe opening recitative secco Thy hand Belinda is accompanied by continuo only Word painting is applied on the text darkness and death which is presented with chromaticism symbolic of death citation needed Dido s Lament opens with a descending chromatic fourth line the ground bass which is repeated eleven times throughout the aria thus structuring the piece in the form of a passacaglia The meter is 32 in the key of G minor Henry Purcell has applied word painting on the words laid which is also given a descending chromatic line portraying death and agony and remember me which is presented in a syllabic text setting and repeated with its last presentation leaping in register with a sudden crescendo displaying her desperate cry with urgency as she prepares for her fate death In one interpretation Dido s relationship with Aeneas is portrayed in this moment as an apocalyptic romance 2 Text Edit Dido s Lament from Purcell s opera Dido and Aeneas Z 626 source source Kirsten Flagstad Philharmonia Orchestra Warwick Braithwaite 1948 Problems playing this file See media help Recitative Thy hand Belinda darkness shades me On thy bosom let me rest More I would but Death invades me Death is now a welcome guest Aria When I am laid am laid in earth May my wrongs create No trouble no trouble in thy breast Remember me remember me but ah forget my fate Remember me but ah forget my fate Sources Edit Kapilow Robert 2008 All You Have to Do Is Listen p 151 ISBN 978 0 470 38544 9 Apocalyptic Romance When I am Laid in Earth www theretuned com Archived from the original on 20 December 2012 External links EditFree scores by Dido and Aeneas in the Choral Public Domain Library ChoralWiki Dido s Lament are movements 37 and 38 in this edition Didos Lament Scores at the International Music Score Library Project When I am laid in earth on YouTube Elin Manahan Thomas with score Portal Opera Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Dido 27s Lament amp oldid 1129915198, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
