Mark Morris created his version of Dido and Aeneas in 1989, when he was the choreographer in residence at la Monnaie, in Brussels. The opera, written by Henry Purcell, was simultaneously sung from the orchestra pit and danced on stage, with intriguing if somewhat disconnected results. The unique combination of baroque vocal music and modern dance underscored Morris’ gift for storytelling and his remarkable ability to shape music and words into movements. Henry Purcell's 1689 opera, set to Nahum Tate's libretto, provides not only the music and a political message about England's ascendancy but a different tack on the characters: Dido becomes stronger than Aeneas, and witches, not gods, direct the action. “As he said at the time,” biographer Joan Acocella wrote in 1993, “he wanted to expand the expressiveness of male dancers; he wanted to give them what women had. Published in The San Francisco Examiner, Janos Gereben for The San Francisco Examiner. Morris’s awareness of the different historical contexts playing on any contemporary production of the opera is apparent in the wide range of sources he draws upon for his setting. An evil sorceress. There's nothing uninteresting about Laurel Lynch, who has both lead parts. A dark and dramatic melding of modern dance and baroque choral music, Morris’s interpretation of English composer Henry Purcell’s 1689 opera, itself based on a tragic love story by the Roman poet Virgil, resonates with raw emotion. For "Dido and Aeneas," Morris unites live instrumental, choral, vocal solo and dance forces, funneling the energy of each into a whole that unfolds English composer Henry Purcell's famous 1689 opera. If you talk to Mark Morris about his choreography, he often circles back to storytelling. She is now a pretty girl from Oregon, and that changes the show radically, restores it to realism. “Gone is the Asian-theatre mystery of the opera, the idea that the Queen could be a man, an icon, a principle. Mark Morris’s Dido and Aeneas was made exactly three hundred years after Purcell’s 1689 opera based on Virgil’s epic poem The Aeneid. Contact Michael Mushalla. Actually, it is precisely that; and the subject of this interrogation, cheerfully endured, is the choreographer's participation in the revival of Henry Purcell's tragic opera "Dido and Aeneas," with which the Mark Morris Dance Group opens the Cal Performances dance season this week. It is impossible not to regret this, but in doing it Morris saved “Dido.” The way to lose a dance—and thousands of dances have been lost thereby—is to stop performing it. Visit the Dance Center. Delight defines Mark Morris' dance piece "Dido and Aeneas." Running for the second time in Chicago, through Wednesday at the Harris, Morris' hourlong "Dido and Aeneas" carries some major baggage. When Mark Morris retired the role at the turn of the century, many believed that the only way to re-experience the work was through the film – that no other dancer could replace him. It was inspired of Tanglewood to invite the choreographer-director Mark Morris here to bring his acclaimed 1989 “Dido and Aeneas” and to present his first staging of “Curlew River” (1964). The movements become a physical analogy of the notes in the ether, expressing the rhythm, the phrasing and, at times, the harmony. A look at the Mark Morris Dance Group and its classic contemporary production of Purcell's Dido and Aeneas. To stop, release the enter key. Mark Morris has been conducting performances of Dido and Aeneas since 2008, when he first conducted the MMDG Music Ensemble and the George Mason University singers as part of an engagement in in Fairfax, Virginia. Get Directions. As he said at the time," biographer Joan Acocella wrote in 1993, "he wanted to expand the expressiveness of male dancers; he wanted to give them what women had. Mark Morris choreographed the story with vivid gesture and exquisite shape. "And it's a perfect length, and it's a great scale, and it's an irresistible story. A pair of lovers. Mark Morris's version of ''Dido and Aeneas'' is a danced opera. Mark Morris barks his queries in a phone call from Seattle in a mock-imperious tone that might daunt the weak of heart. The Mark Morris Dance Group on April 2 will bring Henry Purcell's famous baroque opera "Dido and Aeneas" to life with a live chamber orchestra, vocalists and dancers under the baton of choreographer Mark Morris at Elliott Hall of Music. Nearly three decades and a 2008 visit to The Barclay later, “Dido and Aeneas” remains as ageless as it is unforgettable. Dido, the Queen of Carthage, and shipwrecked Trojan prince Aeneas fall in love, only to have their bond destroyed by the cruel Sorceress and Dido's own misgivings. There will be a pre-concert lecture at 7 p.m. prior to each performance by Dr. Burton Karson. Delight despite the ancient tragic story of love betrayed, and despite the historic and political trappings the story has accumulated over the centuries. Yet the Mark Morris Dance Group has been pulling off the combo since 1989. Fast-forward 300 years to 1989, when Mark Morris paired Purcell’s creation with his choreography and, well, the rest is dance history. ", Next week, the Mostly Mozart Festival revives Mark Morris’s acclaimed production of the Purcell opera. And now that he wasn't taking the role himself anymore, I knew he had cast it with a woman. The production debuted in 1989 with Artistic Director Morris dancing the lead role of Dido/Sorceress alongside his company. dido en aeneas extrait 3 from the interpretation by the mark morris dance companydido and aeneas quarrel "i'll stay/away" Morris assigns a singer to each dancer, the singers standing on platforms in the orchestra pit with PBO, the singers’ heads showing so their voices project, Published in Mercury News. Don’t miss the Mark Morris Dance Group’s performance of Dido and Aeneas at Elliott Hall of Music on Saturday, April 2 nd! As Director of Dance at the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels, Belgium, Mark Morris presented this opera with singers stationed in the pit and with the stage reserved exclusively for dancing. Like the two-dimensional figures painted on a Grecian urn, Mark Morris Dance Group contorted their bodies into fierce angles last weekend; the stage lost its depth and gained the boldness of an urn’s lines and shattered shapes. "It's a great ... masterpiece," he said. Morris cast himself in the dual role of Dido and the evil Sorceress that plots the Queen’s demise. Brooklyn, NY 11217-1415. Mark Morris Dance Group performs “Dido and Aeneas” Friday, May 15 and Saturday, May 16 at 8 p.m. at Irvine Barclay Theatre. Delight in sex, in music, in pathos, in mischief and even evil. Learn more about the history of this masterwork. And since Purcell’s music is busy expressing the libretto’s meanings and emotions, we get a tightly knit, multidisciplinary unit (not a counterpoint) of narrative and poetic feeling – words, music, dance. This role is one of his most acclaimed. This “re-presentation” of the libretto through gestures might be viewed as a redundant doubling of the words, but my contention is that, on the contrary, Morris exploits the transparency of this strategy to sophisticated and moving effect. Published in University. Morris is popular among dance aficionados, the music world, as well as mainstream audiences. This time, all dancers were new to the piece except for two who remained from the 1989 premiere cast. His collaborations with Mark Morris include sets for Dido and Aeneas, Paukenschlag, Stabat Mater and The Death of Socrates. Share. Dido and Aeneas is a dance adaptation of Henry Purcell’s 1689 eponymous opera, based on Virgil's famous tale of Aeneas' affair with Dido, the Queen of Carthage on his way to founding Rome. Why select an English baroque opera for a dance? Dancers with the Mark Morris … That's it. Watch later. Drawn from Virgil’s epic “The Aeneid,” the tale is ancient yet timeless. Interested in presenting Dido and Aeneas at your venue? American mezzo-soprano Blythe, one of the vocal wonders of our age, and San Francisco's renowned period instrument band do not, by virtue of their artistic gifts, accompany a dance company. While he has stepped back from … In fact Henry Purcell's Dido and Aeneas was probably written for performance before the King and Queen of England. It’s not every day that you get to see an opera danced. Once the famed bad boy of dance, Mark Morris is now known as the grand old man of the genre — the characterization having more to do with the nature of his art, rather than his age, 55. Bad Language: Transpositions in Mark Morris's Dido and Aeneas Selby Wynn Schwartz Language, Gesture, and Drag In the middle of Mark Morris's ballet Dido and Aeneas, set to the Henry Purcell opera of the same title, a female dancer mimes the story of the Greek goddess. Just a few minutes into Mark Morris’s 1989 dance to Henry Purcell’s opera Dido and Aeneas it is clear that at least some of the movement “represents” the words of the libretto. I needn't have worried. And so Morris uses each movement, bow stroke and vocal nuance to present the piece's full meaning. It is also suprisingly good. A member of the Mark Morris Dance Group artistic team will discuss “Dido and Aeneas” and the company’s aesthetic. Dido and Aeneas stars Mark Morris himself in the dual roles of Dido and the sorceress, and the supporting roles are performed by the incomparable Mark Morris Dance Group. Since winning the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 1994, she has been at the peak of her trade on opera and concert stages. Children and teens 18 months to 18 years all levels and abilities. Space rentals for rehearsals and events, Wellness Center, and visit the Dance Center. Mark Morris in Dido and Aeneas. Sweete, who had previously worked with MMDG on the Emmy award winning film, Falling Down Stairs, recreated the Dido and Aeneas set on a sound stage in Toronto, Canada and filmed the work without the constraints of a proscenium stage. Dido and Aeneas - Mark Morris Dance Group - Irvine 2015 Clip 3. To play, press and hold the enter key. In the summer of 1995, a filmed version of Morris’ production directed by Barbara Willis Sweete was produced by Rhombus Media. It was a difficult time in his career – his works were often disparaged, even ridiculed, by the local press, and audiences never really took to his irreverent attitude, or to his self-consciously “plain” style of movement. The unique combination of baroque vocal music and modern dance underscored Morris’ gift for storytelling and his remarkable ability to shape music and words into movements. Mark Morris Marks Purcell: Dido and Aeneas as Danced Opera STEPHANIE JORDAN In his celebrated setting of Purcell's opera Dido and Aeneas (1989), Mark Morris banished all the singers from the stage and had his dancers take over.1 By doing so, and drawing immediate international critical attention, he … Choreographed in 1989 for Brussels' Theatre Royal de la Monnaie, it's based in Virgil's "Aeneid," which emphasizes fate, the gods, the destined history of Rome. Nonetheless, as part of the 25th anniversary celebration of the Mark Morris Dance Group, the company remounted the work. The plot of Henry Purcell's 1689 opera "Dido and Aeneas" is classic stuff. Northrop at the University of Minnesota will present “Dido and Aeneas” by the Mark Morris Dance Group on Wednesday. Mark Morris’ original casting of himself in the the dual role of Dido and the evil Sorceress that plots the Queen's demise would become one of his most acclaimed. No: They collaborate. The dates of the composition and first … Mark Morris has been conducting performances of Dido and Aeneas since 2008, when he first conducted the MMDG Music Ensemble and the George Mason University singers as part of an engagement in in Fairfax, Virginia. As Director of Dance at the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels, Belgium, Mark Morris presented this opera with singers stationed in the pit and with the stage reserved exclusively for dancing. Choreographer Mark Morris no longer dances in his company's show, "Dido and Aeneas," even though he wrote the piece for himself. Recent performances conducted by Morris at Cal Performances, Berkeley (Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and Chorale), and at the Mostly Mozart Festival at Lincoln Center, New York (MMDG Music Ensemble and Trinity Choir) featured mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe singing the roles of Dido and Sorceress. A doomed affair. As Director of Dance at the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels, Belgium, Mark Morris presented this opera with singers stationed in the pit and with the stage reserved exclusively for dancing. Dido and Aeneas Mark Morris Dance Group Mark Morris, conductor presented by the Philharmonic Society of Orange County Irvine Barclay Theatre – Cheng Hall 4242 Campus Drive in Irvine Friday, May 15 at 8:00 Saturday, May 16 at 8:00 for tickets, call (949) 553-2422 or visit www.philharmonicsociety.org Purcell’s early opera of Dido and Aeneas tells the tragic episode from Virgil’s Aeneid when the Trojan prince, en route to heroic destiny in Italy, falls in love with the Queen of Carthage. Dido and the Sorceress were cast as two separate roles and performed by Amber Star Merkens and Bradon McDonald respectively. By Young Gentlewomen.”. and rarely since. When you write about Stephanie Blythe and Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra participating in a performance by the Mark Morris Dance Group, you must choose your verbs with special care. That sounded like it would be less interesting. Published in The Daily Californian. Amazon.com: Dido & Aeneas (Mark Morris Dance Group): Mark Morris, Jennifer Lane, Guillermo Resto, Russell Braun, Mark Morris Dance Group, Tafelmusik Orchestra and Chamber Choir, Barbara Willis Sweete, Karen Bower, John Rahme, Rhombus Media, Inc.: Movies & TV The baroque opera “Dido and Aeneas” comes at 8 p.m. to Elliott Hall this Saturday, brought to life through vocalists, dancers and a live chamber orchestra. Since then, he has conducted performances in Urbana, Illinois (Pacific Symphony Orchestra and the University of Illinois Chamber Singers); in Boston, Massachusetts (Orchestra and Chorus of Emmanuel Music); and in the company’s Russian debut in Moscow (MMDG … During the 17th century, composer Henry Purcell made it into opera. Mark William Morris (born August 29, 1956) is an American dancer, choreographer and director whose work is acclaimed for its craftsmanship, ingenuity, humor, and at times eclectic musical accompaniments. The decision to do "Dido and Aeneas" came easily, Morris explained, particularly when he heard Henry Purcell's opera, composed in English in the 1680s. Bad Language: Transpositions in Mark Morris's Dido and Aeneas - Volume 44 Issue 2 - Selby Wynn Schwartz “Opulent” and “majestic” are words frequently mentioned when people hear mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe sing. In MMDG’s rendition of the tale “Dido and Aeneas,” presented by Cal Performances at Zellerbach Hall, antiquated influence is cobbled together with wholly contemporary presentation. In fact, there are arguably no other “dancermakers” working today who have so successfully used their musical intellect to illuminate, transform, and even expand the greatness of each masterwork they’ve embraced. Because it was difficult for the audience to see the singers (who were quite good), it was a bit like watching a dubbed movie, in which the dialogue doesn’t exactly line up with the performer who is “speaking.” Still, the live music and singing made up a rich, essential part of the epic work. But almost 30 years after the first performance, he'll still be quite visible when he brings "Dido" to the Northrop Auditorium in Minneapolis on Wednesday. The hourlong production is spare in its staging but florid in its sentiments, focusing completely upon the choreographer's performance in two women's roles. But those words, at the head of the libretto published in 1689, have cast such a pall of dainty respectability, of amateur night shenanigans over the work that most listeners have neglected the evidence of their own ears. Dido has been mostly revived professionally when a mezzo-soprano combining musical insight with box-office clout—a Kirsten Flagstad, a Josephine Baker—has insisted on performing it. Mark Morris choreographed his "Dido and Aeneas" so he could dance the roles of Dido and the Sorceress himself. Conductor Mark Morris leads singers and the Mark Morris Dance Group in Purcell's opera "Dido and Aeneas" at the Irvine Barclay Theatre on Friday. The story — at once real and heart-breaking — is based on Virgil's tale. The Mark Morris Dance Group portrays a timeless story of love, and betrayal in its highly acclaimed production of Dido and Aeneas, a dance adaptation of English composer Henry Purcell’s 1689 opera of the same name. For their modern dance version of Purcell’s opera, “Dido and Aeneas,” at Northrop on Wednesday, the 12 dancers are collaborating with a live orchestra, chorus and solo vocalists. Soloists: Jennifer Lane - Dido and Sorceress James Maddalena - Aeneas Dana Hanchard - Belinda Christine Brandes - Second woman April 16 & 17, 1996 Mark Morris Dance Center. Mark Morris Dance Group – Dido and Aeneas Week Explore Mark Morris’ Dido and Aeneas, a danced opera set to Henry Purcell’s score, through a series of talks and classes accompanying the week-long screening of the 1995 filmed version of the work.The film will be available to stream on demand for the entire week. Dido and Aeneas Opera by Henry Purcell The composer, portrait by John Closterman, c. 1695 LibrettistNahum Tate Based onBook IV of Virgil's Aeneid Premiere 1689 Josias Priest's girls' school, London Dido and Aeneas is an opera in a prologue and three acts, written by the English Baroque composer Henry Purcell with a libretto by Nahum Tate. I knew that Morris himself had danced the piece's twin lead roles of Dido and the Sorceress at its premiere in 1989 and numerous times since, but had never seen it. Delight defines Mark Morris' "Dido and Aeneas." The way to preserve it is to recast it and recoach it and put it back onstage.” -Joan Acocella. MMDG is a member of Dance/USA and the Downtown Brooklyn Arts Alliance. Ancient themes punctuated the space the way purposefully painted motifs mark a piece of pottery. Wednesday’s premiere was one of only two performances. ‘Dido and aeneas’ Cal Performances presents Mark Morris Dance Group in the Henry Purcell opera with the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, mezzo … Published in San Francisco Bay Gaurdian, Rita Felciano for San Francisco Bay Guardian. The musician who watches this production appreciates the musicality of Morris’ choreography, the way it mirrors and even analyzes Purcell’s score. Propelled by core values of community, access, excellence, and creativity, MMDG is committed to ongoing work on inclusion, equity, and diversity to ensure its programs are welcoming and accessible to all. American choreographer Mark Morris loves music. May this pairing recur. Mark Morris Dido and Aeneas Sophia Preston 2013 The plot of Nahum Tate‘s libretto for Dido and Aeneas is based on Book IV of Virgil's Aeneid which describes Aeneas‘s sojourn in Carthage as the guest of Queen Dido, herself a refugee but one who has set up a … But, artistically, the more important fact was that the gender switch—plus the combining of the heroine and villainess roles—shot the show into a mythic territory, beyond realism and beyond conventional morals.” Morris continued to perform the role, opposite Guillermo Resto as Aeneas, until 2000. Mark Morris Dance Group PROGRAM Dido and Aeneas Music Henry Purcell (1689) Libretto Nahum Tate Choreography Mark Morris Set Design Robert Bordo Costume Design Christine Van Loon Lighting Design James F. Ingalls Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and Chorale Mark Morris, Conductor Courtiers, Witches, Spirits, Sailors and Conscience That’s exactly what happened when the Mark Morris Dance Group and Music Ensemble brought the iconic 1989 work “Dido and Aeneas” to Northrop on Wednesday. The mission of the Mark Morris Dance Group is to develop, promote, and sustain dance, music, and opera productions by Mark Morris and to serve as a cultural resource to engage and enrich the community. Buy Tickets From $24-49 The Mark Morris Dance Group will discuss the ins and outs of the aesthetics in a pre-show talk at 7 p.m. in the Mechanical Engineering Building, Room 1103. It wasn’t even true. Whether by looking apt (shaking hands in the air to “shake”), or through repetition (hands held out in an Indian dance mudra every time the word “fate” is heard), associations build up between gestures and words, creating a lexicon of gestural signs. Paradoxically, Mark Morris's danced version of the piece has probably done more to establish Dido in the repertory than those artists did. Since then, he has conducted performances in Urbana, Illinois (Pacific Symphony Orchestra and the University of Illinois Chamber Singers); in Boston, Massachusetts (Orchestra and Chorus of Emmanuel Music); and in the company’s Russian debut in Moscow (MMDG Music Ensemble and Trinity Choir). Phone: 718.624.8400. info@mmdg.org. 3 Lafayette Avenue. What makes watching the Mark Morris Dance Group's Dido and Aeneas such a satisfying — and ultimately profound — experience? “Dido and Aeneas” has it all: love, betrayal, death. Below, Laurel Lynch, lead performer playing dual roles, Dido and the Sorceress, answers questions to give you a sense of what you’ll be able to take away from the show and pre-show. Art rarely mashes up genres as disparate as modern dance, baroque opera and Roman epics. The show has continued to inspire, delight, and garner accolades since its 1989 premiere. Morris' Dido, face rouged and (like everybody but Guillermo Resto's Aeneas) clad in a black dress, starts by making impassivity a virtue. © 2021 Mark Morris Dance Group - All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy. Diana and her … In 2015, Dido and Aeneas was named a "tour de force of the late 20th century" by the Los Angeles TImes, proving you "don't need a movie screen to make a blockbuster.". Mark Morris’ Dido and Aeneas at Zellerbach, September 18, 2011 ... transported to the shores of the Mediterranean some three thousand years ago as Merkens’ Dido debated lovemaking with Aeneas. I was ready to be a little disappointed when I arrived at the Harris Theater for the Mark Morris Dance Group's performance of Dido and Aeneas last night. Dido and Aeneas. April 19 & 21, 1996 Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor, MI Martin Pearlman, conductor With Mark Morris Dance Troupe. It's really simple: give a story of love and war to a poet, who creates a rhythmically and imagistically suggestive libretto, which then gets into the hands of a genius composer, and finally ends up with Mark Morris, who just happens to be a great choreographer and company director. The film captured Mark Morris in his critically acclaimed role, brought the long famed dance sequences to motion picture and television audiences, and is still available on DVD today. Dido and Aeneas - Mark Morris Dance Group - Irvine 2015 Clip 3 - YouTube. Delight in sex, in music, in pathos, in mischief and even evil. Dido and Aeneas is a dance adaptation of Henry Purcell’s 1689 eponymous opera, based on Virgil’s famous tale of Aeneas’ affair with Dido, the Queen of Carthage on his way to founding Rome. “It’s one of the greatest pieces ever; that’s good enough,” the dependably blunt Morris said. Dancers, Musicians, Designers, Staff and Board. Published in San Francisco Theater Examiner, Cindy Warner for San Francisco Theater Examiner, Mark Morris conducted the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and soprano Stephanie Blythe last night in his conducting debut, with Amber Star Merkens and Domingo Estrada Jr. dancing the title roles in Morris’ quirky Dido & Aeneas. The Opera is the story of Dido, the noble Queen of Carthage, and the Trojan Prince Aeneas. Mark Morris Dance Group / Saturday, April 2 / Elliott Hall of Music / 8 pm. One such "fixer-upper" was Mark Morris, whose group first staged the Opera to much acclaim, way back in 1989, in Belgium. Published in BAM Blog, Published in Chicago Tribune, Published in Chicago Reader, Published in The Exponent, Published in Star Tribune, Published in Lafayette Journal and Courier, Published in Minnesota Daily, Published in Minneapolis Public Radio, Published in Bodies Never Lie, Published in Purdue Newsroom, Published in Newport Beach Independent, Published in The Orange County Register, Published in Los Angeles Times, Published in The New York Times, All it took to condemn one of the greatest operas ever written to three centuries in shadows were a bare dozen words—“Perform'd at Mr. Josias Priest's Boarding-School at Chelsey. And the worst of it? Dido and Aeneas is a dance adaptation of Henry Purcell’s 1689 eponymous opera, based on Virgil's famous tale of Aeneas' affair with Dido, the Queen of Carthage on his way to founding Rome. Today, the roles Dido and the Sorceress are again performed by one dancer. 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