Purcell: Dido & Æneas, Circe Les Argonautes, Jonas Descotte, Allérat, Dolcini, Roset, Pichanick, Vieira Leite

• Henry Purcell (1659 - 1695): Dido and Aeneas, Z.626:
• 1Purcell: Dido and Aeneas, Z.626: Overture01:50
• Dido and Aeneas, Z.626, Act I Scene 1, The Palace:
• 2Purcell: Dido and Aeneas, Z.626, Act I Scene 1, The Palace: Shake the Cloud from Off Your Brow (Belinda)00:35
• 3Purcell: Dido and Aeneas, Z.626, Act I Scene 1, The Palace: Banish Sorrow, Banish Care (Chorus)00:34
• 4Purcell: Dido and Aeneas, Z.626, Act I Scene 1, The Palace: Ah! Belinda, I Am Press'd with Torment (Dido)04:14
• 5Purcell: Dido and Aeneas, Z.626, Act I Scene 1, The Palace: Grief Increases by Concealing (Belinda, Dido)00:34
• 6Purcell: Dido and Aeneas, Z.626, Act I Scene 1, The Palace: When Monarchs Unite, How Happy Their State (Chorus)00:16
• 7Purcell: Dido and Aeneas, Z.626, Act I Scene 1, The Palace: Whence Could so Much Virtue Spring? (Dido, Belinda)01:54
• 8Purcell: Dido and Aeneas, Z.626, Act I Scene 1, The Palace: Fear no Danger to Ensue (Belinda, Second Woman, Chorus)01:51
• 9Purcell: Dido and Aeneas, Z.626, Act I Scene 1, The Palace: See, Your Royal Guest Appears (Belinda, Æneas, Dido)00:53
• 10Purcell: Dido and Aeneas, Z.626, Act I Scene 1, The Palace: Cupid Only Throws the Dart (Chorus)00:43
• 11Purcell: Dido and Aeneas, Z.626, Act I Scene 1, The Palace: If Not for Mine, for Empire's Sake (Æneas, Belinda)01:12
• 12Purcell: Dido and Aeneas, Z.626, Act I Scene 1, The Palace: To the Hills and the Vales (Chorus)01:11
• 13Purcell: Dido and Aeneas, Z.626, Act I Scene 1, The Palace: The Triumphing Dance01:14
• Dido and Aeneas, Z.626, Act II Scene 1, The Cave:
• 14Purcell: Dido and Aeneas, Z.626, Act II Scene 1, The Cave: Prelude for the Witches. Wayward Sisters, You That Fright (Sorceress). Harm's Our Delight (Chorus)02:20
• 15Purcell: Dido and Aeneas, Z.626, Act II Scene 1, The Cave: The Queen of Carthage, Whom We Hate (Sorceress). Ho, Ho, Ho (Chorus)00:39
• 16Purcell: Dido and Aeneas, Z.626, Act II Scene 1, The Cave: Ruin'd Ere the Set of Sun? (Two Witches, Sorceress). Ho, Ho, Ho (Chorus)01:13
• 17Purcell: Dido and Aeneas, Z.626, Act II Scene 1, The Cave: But Ere We This Perform (Two Witches)01:13
• 18Purcell: Dido and Aeneas, Z.626, Act II Scene 1, The Cave: In Our Deep Vaulted Cell (Chorus)01:36
• 19Purcell: Dido and Aeneas, Z.626, Act II Scene 1, The Cave: Echo Dance of the Furies01:05
• 20Purcell: Dido and Aeneas, Z.626, Act II Scene 1, The Cave: Ritornelle00:56
• Dido and Aeneas, Z.626, Act II Scene 2, The Grove:
• 21Purcell: Dido and Aeneas, Z.626, Act II Scene 2, The Grove: Thanks to These Lonesome Vales (Belinda, Chorus)03:23
• 22Purcell: Dido and Aeneas, Z.626, Act II Scene 2, The Grove: Oft She Visits This Lone Mountain (Second Woman)02:05
• 23Purcell: Dido and Aeneas, Z.626, Act II Scene 2, The Grove: Behold, Upon My Bending Spear (Æneas, Dido)00:33
• 24Purcell: Dido and Aeneas, Z.626, Act II Scene 2, The Grove: Haste, Haste to Town (Belinda, Chorus)00:44
• 25Purcell: Dido and Aeneas, Z.626, Act II Scene 2, The Grove: Stay, Prince, and Hear Great Jove's Command (Spirit, Æneas)02:51
• Dido and Aeneas, Z.626, Act III Scene 1, The Ships:
• 26Purcell: Dido and Aeneas, Z.626, Act III Scene 1, The Ships: Come Away Fellow Sailors (First Sailor, Chorus)01:42
• 27Purcell: Dido and Aeneas, Z.626, Act III Scene 1, The Ships: The Sailors' Dance00:44
• 28Purcell: Dido and Aeneas, Z.626, Act III Scene 1, The Ships: See the Flags and Streamers Curling (Sorceress, Two Witches)01:12
• 29Purcell: Dido and Aeneas, Z.626, Act III Scene 1, The Ships: Our Next Motion (Sorceress)00:36
• 30Purcell: Dido and Aeneas, Z.626, Act III Scene 1, The Ships: Destruction's Our Delight (Chorus)00:33
• 31Purcell: Dido and Aeneas, Z.626, Act III Scene 1, The Ships: The Witches' Dance02:15
• Dido and Aeneas, Z.626, Act III Scene 2:
• 32Purcell: Dido and Aeneas, Z.626, Act III Scene 2: Your Counsel All Is Urg'd in Vain (Dido, Belinda, Æneas)03:22
• 33Purcell: Dido and Aeneas, Z.626, Act III Scene 2: But Death, alas! I cannot shun (Dido)00:33
• 34Purcell: Dido and Aeneas, Z.626, Act III Scene 2: Great Minds Against Themselves Conspire (Chorus)01:01
• 35Purcell: Dido and Aeneas, Z.626, Act III Scene 2: Thy Hand Belinda; Darkness Shades Me (Dido)01:02
• 36Purcell: Dido and Aeneas, Z.626, Act III Scene 2: When I Am Laid in Earth (Dido)03:59
• 37Purcell: Dido and Aeneas, Z.626, Act III Scene 2: With Drooping Wings (Chorus)05:30
• Circe, Z.575:
• 38Purcell: Circe, Z.575: We Must Assemble by a Sacrifice (Second Priest, Chorus)01:49
• 39Purcell: Circe, Z.575: Their Necessary Aid You Use (First, Second and Third Priests)00:46
• 40Purcell: Circe, Z.575: The Air, With Music Gently Wound (Second Priest, Third Priest)01:25
• 41Purcell: Circe, Z.575: The Air, With Music Gently Wound (Chorus)01:25
• 42Purcell: Circe, Z.575: Come Every Demon (First Priest)01:19
• 43Purcell: Circe, Z.575: Circe, the Daughter of the Sun Obey (Chorus)00:42
• 44Purcell: Circe, Z.575: You Who Hatch Factions (First Priest)00:40
• 45Purcell: Circe, Z.575: Circe the daughter of the Sun obey (Chorus) II00:46
• 46Purcell: Circe, Z.575: Magicians' Dance (Part 1)00:26
• 47Purcell: Circe, Z.575: Pluto, Arise! (Second Priest)01:15
• 48Purcell: Circe, Z.575: Magicians' Dance (Part 2)00:53
• 49Purcell: Circe, Z.575: Lovers, Who to Their First Embraces Go (First and Second Women, Chorus)01:31
• 50Purcell: Circe, Z.575: Great Minister of Fate (Chorus). At Your Dread Word (Second Woman)00:58
• 51Purcell: Circe, Z.575: Great Minister of Fate (Chorus)00:40
• Total Runtime01:12:43

Info for Purcell: Dido & Æneas, Circe

The circumstances of the composition of Purcell’s only opera, Dido and Æneas, are unclear. First performed in the 1680s, it received few performances in the composer’s lifetime, before disappearing until its revival at the very end of the nineteenth century. This miniature, poetic, dramatic, delightfully melodic, and containing some unforgettably beautiful vocal pieces (Dido’s “Lament”, the Witches’ songs…) has enjoyed great success ever since.

Jonas Descotte and his young ensemble Les Argonautes (named after the heroes who accompanied Jason in the quest for the Golden Fleece) have chosen this work for their recording debut. Taking the intimate approach, one musician per part, the conductor sculpts his sound material in order to capture the very essence of the work’s musical and dramatic content, sublimated here by an attractive vocal cast, in which Camille Allérat, Renato Dolcini, Anthea Pichanick and Julie Roset are particularly outstanding. Between historical practice and modernity, the conductor, in perfect symbiosis with his musicians, delivers here a highly polished and intense interpretation, swept by the winds of freedom.

Camille Allerat, soprano (Dido)
Renato Dolcini, baritone (Aeneas)
Anthea Pichanick, contralto(Sorceress)
Julie Roset, soprano (Belinda/Second Witch)
Ana Veieira Leite, soprano (Second Woman/First Witch)
Les Argonautes
Jonas Descotte, direction

L’Ensemble les Argonautes
Based in Geneva, Les Argonautes is an ensemble with variable geometry, specialising in baroque music. Founded by Jonas Descotte, who is responsible for the artistic direction and the creation of the programmes, the Argonautes Ensemble brings together young artists who have performed on the most important baroque stages.

By putting together customised teams for each programme, Jonas and the Ensemble Les Argonautes want to give their performers freedom of choice and detail. This work of responsibility creates a real connection with the other participants: each person in turn becomes the guide of this music, guiding the others, and then passing the baton.

The name Argonauts comes from Greco-Roman mythology. The Argonauts are a group of mythical heroes who set out to conquer the Golden Fleece on the ship Argo, celebrated as the first ship in history. This mythological image of a pioneering expedition is of particular interest to the ensemble: indeed, Les Argonautes wants to create a new perspective, an innovative musical dynamism.

In mythology, the Argonauts are heroes of character, drawing on the resources of each individual to form a united and effective group. Thus Tiphys pilots the Argo, while Argos built it. Jason is the instigator of the epic, and Orpheus sets the pace for the rowers from his lyre.

This metaphor of the individual in the group is a reflection of what the ensemble wants in its musical practice. Each musician brings his or her own experience and musicality to the work, proposing through knowledge of his or her part the importance of his or her interpretation. And then, like Orpheus, Tiphys or Jason, an outside ear channels the will of each individual to give a direction, a destination.

Jonas Descotte
After six years of family travel around the Atlantic on a catamaran, Jonas Descotte's mind was enriched with discoveries and he started to learn music when he returned to the south of France. Initially an instrumentalist, he began his apprenticeship with the cello. Passionate about baroque music and singing, he joined Luc Coadou's class as a countertenor. In order to perfect his vocal training, he took courses in organ, renaissance polyphony, chamber music, choral conducting, and even tango music. Jonas then entered the HEM in Geneva in Nathalie Stutzmann's class in 2016. He participated in the 22nd European Baroque Academy of Ambronay directed by Paul Agnew who later wrote the preface to the first album of the Argonauts. Jonas also collaborates with various Swiss, French and more widely European ensembles.

Jonas founded his own ensemble based in Geneva, and is its artistic director: Les Argonautes.

The ensemble performs mainly in the Geneva region and collaborates with its actors such as the Grand Théâtre de Genève. Through Les Argonautes and its various programmes, Jonas collaborates with many talented artists.

The epic of the Argonauts seems to be a perfect metaphor for the ensemble's policy: heroes of character, strong in their individual exploits, guided by Jason, channelling the resources of each one to form a united and efficient group.

Booklet for Purcell: Dido & Æneas, Circe