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Chapter 11
Henry Purcell
Dido and Aeneas, Overture and Act I, nos. 1 4
Chapter at a Glance
11.Form by the Numbers
13.Expand Your Playlist: Purcell
15.Word-Music Relationships: Speaking, Expressing, Commenting
17.Listening Guide: Dido and Aeneas, Overture and Act I, nos. 1 4
18.Expand Your Playlist: Baroque Opera
Chapter Objectives
After reading the chapter and listening to the work, students should be able to:
11.3 Explain the features and function of the operatic overture in general and the
French overture in particular.
11.5 Distinguish between recitative and aria.
11.6 Define and identify ostinato (ground bass).
Key Concepts
ostinato, overture, French overture, aria
Chapter Highlight: Baroque Opera
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Chapter Summary
Dido and Aeneas offers students the opportunity to acquaint themselves with
several different aspects of opera. The political connection is one point, for the origins of
this successful work remain unclear to the present day. In addition to its intriguing
commentary on William and Mary (rulers of England at the time it was written). Dido
students can be invited to find even more associations than the text lists. The idea of
affect (explained in the Introduction to Part 3) can be investigated here as well.
Ostinato, a technique used in several well-known pieces by Purcell, provides the
Listening Guide
The Listening Guide divides the work into five parts but proceeds immediately from one
to the next as would happen in a performance. (The timing does not start and stop in
between.) The different performance forces will assist students in determining when
each part begins. The overture (No. 1) is completely instrumental. No. 2 begins when the
solo voice (Belinda) is heard, and the chorus enters later. No. 3 begins when the next
solo part is heard (Dido). A duet (No. 4) follows, and the final piece is for chorus.
MyMusicLab Resources
Automated Listening Guide: Henry Purcell: Dido and Aeneas, Overture and Act I,
nos. 1 4
Chapter Audio: Chapter 11
Profile: Henry Purcell (ca. 1659 1695)
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Discussion Topics and Critical Thinking Questions
13. Some scholars believe that Dido and Aeneas may have been suppressed for
political reasons shortly after its first performance in Chelsea. What aspects of the plot
do you think are potentially an unfavorable commentary on the rulers of the time? Do
14. Discuss the implications of the lack of English operas until the eighteenth
century. How do you feel about opera? Are you comfortable with all of the dialogue
being sung?
Activities and Exercises
8. Purcell used arias accompanied in different ways to convey deep emotion in his
operatic characters. Search your own CD or electronic collection for examples of
music that conveys different emotions happy, sad, in love, depressed, nostalgic, and
so on. Does the composer u
meaning? Explain your answers in musical terms. Students could share their
Journaling Prompts
Repetition, such as in
powerful element of several different artistic forms. Can you think of non-musical forms
where repetition plays a key role?