Dido and Æneas, die Sieben Todsünden: Teatro Comunale di Bologna
About the Event
The character of Aeneas in Virgil's 'Dido and Æneas' is often referred to as 'pious.' However, his piety does not evoke pity but rather a sense of duty that often suppresses emotions and compassion. In Henry Purcell's adaptation, it is not fate or divine intervention that drives the sacrifice of the Trojan exile, but rather the influence of sinister forces. These forces, including evil spirits and supernatural creatures envious of human happiness, twist the story into a fairytale‐like narrative. As a result, the human characters become more isolated and deceived.
In 'Die Sieben Todsünden,' a 2000 essay by Ute Ehrhardt, the author discusses the concept that good girls go to heaven while bad girls are everywhere. This sentiment has been celebrated by authors like the Marquis de Sade and Daniel Defoe, who explore the misadventures of virtue and the allure of vice. Ehrhardt highlights the journey of moral reversal in this essay, where the protagonist Anna embodies contradictory roles — both passion and reason, a dancer and a singer, a commodity and a merchant. Anna engages in behaviors considered sinful, such as love without interest, pride, anger, and gluttony. Throughout the narrative, her actions are constantly observed by a grotesque family composed of male voices, awaiting the acquisition of a coveted cottage in Louisiana. In this story, material possessions triumph over the spirit, as the petty bourgeoisie surrenders their souls for money in the backdrop of the 1933 crisis in Europe, as depicted in Brecht and Weill's collaboration while they were exiles in Paris.
Cast / Production
Conductor: Marco Angius
Director: Daniele Abbado
New production of the TCBO with Teatro Romolo Valli, Reggio Emilia
Orchestra, Choir and Technicians of the TCBO
Choirmaster: Gea Garatti Ansini
Characters and interpreters:
DIDO AND ÆNEAS
DIDONE, REGINA DI CARTAGINE: Danielle de Niese
ENEA PRINCIPE TROIANO: Allen Boxer
BELINDA: Mariam Battistelli
SECONDA DONNA: Patricia Daniela Fodor
LA MAGA: Bruno Taddia
PRIMA STREGA: Marco Miglietta
SECONDA STREGA / MARINAIO: Andrea Giovannini
SPIRITO: Paola Valentina Molinari
DIE SIEBEN TODSÜNDEN
ANNA I: Danielle de Niese
LA FAMIGLIA: Marco Miglietta, Andrea Giovannini, Nicolò Ceriani, Andrea Concetti
