Aeneas and Dido essay

Amanda Basco

Gregg Perkins

Art and Technology

11 January 2019

Aeneas and Dido

The famous opera is based on Book IV of Virgil's Aeneid and takes place around 1689. The story consists of two lovers who face challenges because they are both royals in different countries. Originally the couple would marry and stay at Didos palace but a sequence of events happen which makes the ending contrast the plot and eventually creating scenes that turn fatal. Aeneas and Dido differ from other operas because it is filmed like a television show. A mainstream opera can be watched live, but because Aeneas and Dido was filmed it was able to have different sets, props, and other costumes that would be featured differently at a normal opera.

While watching the opera I noticed things are more expressive when it comes to opinions and emotions. Since everything is sang points can be emphasized greater and there are more people evoking ideas and opinions. There is more unity among the cast as well, dancing in unison and using props is present among the performance. When referring to the mise en scene there are  multiple sets which are detailed and realistic. For example, various parts of the opera are recorded outside at night time. The producers were able to get creative because of having the advantage of recording the performance on camera. Some of the recorded footage is not accompanied by singing and can tell a story of its own. The looks of the cast reflected on the society they were in as well as the mood the scene would have. Wardrobe for the main characters was elegant, expensive, and layered. As the lighting changed in the film the viewers could identify the mood that the scene will have. Makeup was used lightly on the characters giving them a natural but dressed up appearance.

This piece set the tone for all operas based on the large amount of resources and the potential to turn the work into a movie. Other operas would have a harder time doing this because it is harder to perform details that Dido and Aeneas had. When the opera was originally presented I believe people were quick to accept something with an over imaginative plot like this one because of the exciting and heart clenching events that occur. It is exciting and easy to gain attraction to, especially with the use of monarchs in a world where that kind of authority was still present. Even though the story took place centuries ago it still has the potential to be appealing to a modern audience.

If Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas could be turned into a video game I would create the game in Dido’s perspective and base how the game goes off of the decisions she makes. This would be done by giving her the option to either pursue a relationship with Aeneas or letting him reside in her palace as friends (which has the potential to change). This can be followed by another sequence of events which presents more decisions that the player would need to make. An example of this could be when Aeneas offers to stay with her even though he has to leave, the viewer would be asked to pick whether Dido agreed to let him stay or does what is done in the opera. If Dido continues to reject Aeneas she would also be presented with the option to either kill herself or stay alive. The game would still have the instrumentals and vocals like the opera just made simpler. As the love story progresses or as the story continues as friends there will be many options on how the game will end. There is no true goal of the game it is story based and more of an experience. Dialogue would be added to make it harder for the player to make easy decisions and other characters have the ability to influence the decisions. A character that would be added to the game that was not in the show is Dido’s late husband. This is because he could appear randomly throughout the game to also influence what the participant would want to happen.

In conclusion, the opera was complex and had a lot of aspects when it came to the characters and sets. The performance was the perfect foundation for all operas that are present today because of how society is displayed and the complexity of some of the scenes. A video game that reflects Dido and Aeneas does not have to be competitive and thrill seeking to be intriguing and fun. There are multiple ways to look at how to interpret this film because of the complexity it has to offer.

Works Cited

O, Sara. “Henry Purcell's Dido & Aeneas: Summary, Myth & Analysis.” Study.com, Study.com, study.com/academy/lesson/henry-purcells-dido-aeneas-summary-myth-analysis.html.

O, Virgil. “The Aeneid Summary.” SparkNotes, SparkNotes, 2015, www.sparknotes.com/lit/aeneid/section4/.

Site, Wikipedia. “Dido and Aeneas.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 30 Sept. 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dido_and_Aeneas.

V, Naxos. “Welcome to Naxos Records.” History of Classical Music - Eras, 2005, www.naxos.com/education/opera_libretti.asp?pn=&char=ALL&composer=Purcell&opera=Dido_and_Aeneas&libretto_file=00_Synopsis.htm.