​OPERA CONNECT
Purcell's Dido and Aeneas

Plot synopsis

Dido (also known as Elissa), the queen of Carthage, loves Aeneas, a Trojan prince who has ended up at Carthage after the Trojan War. He loves her as well, and things initially look good for the lovers, who form a hunting party to celebrate. However, the spiteful Sorceress does not want Dido to be happy. She and her enchantresses conjure up a storm to drive the members of the party back to court. Aeneas is stopped by the Sorceress's spirit, who has taken the form of the god Mercury and who tells Aeneas that the gods want him to sail on to Italy. He is broken-hearted that he will have to leave Dido, but he believes he must obey the gods. He and his sailors prepare to sail, and the Sorceress and enchantresses gleefully announce their plans to wreck the ships as well. Aeneas meets Dido again to bid her farewell, but is so moved that he decides he cannot leave her even at the gods' command. However, the proud Dido haughtily rejects his offers to stay now that he has thought of leaving her. Once he is gone, though, she admits that she cannot live without him and takes her life.