Dido and Aeneas

• Theatre

Ballet opera. Music by Henry Purcell

After ten years of war, the Greeks conquer Troy. The Trojan prince Aeneas flees his destroyed city, which is located in present-day Turkey, and is given asylum by Dido, the queen of Carthage, in present-day Tunisia. Dido and Aeneas fall in love. However, Aeneas is called to found a new city in Italy: the future Rome ... Or are his lofty dreams just illusions instilled in him by a powerful sorceress?

In his expressive opera, Purcell captures the different phases of a love story that is rapidly moving towards its tragic end. With its compact structure, powerful characters, dramatic effect and expressive music, Dido and Aeneas is considered a masterpiece of the English Baroque. One of Purcell's innovative approaches is that he skillfully integrates dance scenes into the opera, giving it an additional artistic dimension. Ballett Schwerin and the Musiktheater join forces to present a contemporary interpretation of the famous work.