Overture
Akte I
The palace (enter Dido, Belinda and train)
Belinda
Shake the cloud from off your brow,
fate your wishes does allow;
empire growing, pleasures flowing
fortune smiles and so should you.
koor
Banish sorrow, banish care,
grief should ne'er approach the fair.
Dido
Ah! Belinda I am press'd,
with torment not to be confess'd.
Peace and I are strangers grown,
I languish till my grief is known,
yet would not have it guess'd.
Belinda
Grief increases by concealing.
Dido
Mine admits of no revealing.
Belinda
Then let me speak; the Trojan guest
into your tender thoughts has press'd;
Second Woman
The greatest blessing fate can give,
our Carthage to secure and Troy revive.
koor
When monarchs unite, how happy their state,
they triumph at once o'er their foes and their fate.
Dido
Whence could so much virtue spring?
What storms, what battles did he sing?
Anchises’ valour mix’d with Venus' charms,
how soft in peace, and yet how fierce in arms!
Belinda
A tale so strong and full of woe
might melt the rocks as well as you.
Second Woman
What stubborn heart unmov'd
could see such distress, such piety?
Dido
Mine with storms of care oppress'd
is taught to pity the distress'd.
Mean wretches grief can touch
so soft, so sensible my breast.
But ah! I fear, I pity his too much.
Belinda and Second Woman
Fear no danger to ensue,
the hero loves as well as you,
ever gentle, ever smiling,
and the cares of life beguiling.
Cupids strew your path with flowers
gather'd from Elysian bowers.
koor
Fear no danger, etc.
(Aeneas enters with his train)
Belinda
See, your royal guest appears;
how godlike is the form he bears!
Aeneas
When royal fair, shall I be bless'd
with cares of love and state distress'd?
Dido
Fate forbids you what you pursue.
Aeneas
Aeneas has no fate but you!
Let Dido smile and I'll defy
the feeble strokes of destiny!
koor
Cupid only throws the dart
that's dreadful to a warrior's heart,
and she that wounds
can only cure the smart.
Aeneas
If not for mine, for empire's sake,
some pity on your lover take;
ah! make not in a hopeless fire
a hero fall and Troy once more expire.
Belinda
Pursue thy conquest, Love. Her eyes
confess the flame her tongue denies.
A dance gittar’s chacony
koor
To the hills and the vales,
to the rocks and the mountains,
to the musical groves and the cool shady fountains.
Let the triumph of love and of beauty be shown,
go revel, ye Cupids, the day is your own.
The triumphing Dance
"Tala min beit aboha"
Composition : Nathem Naiem
Text: Juborie Alnajar
Maqam Ajam (iraqi)
-Going out of her father's house to the neighbor's house.
Passed by me, she didn't say hi.
Wearing the red and the green, and her eyes are a gazelle's eyes.
Acte II, scène I
the cave (enter the sorceress)
Prelude for the Witches
Sorceress
Wayward sisters, you that fright
the lonely traveller by night,
who like dismal ravens crying
beat the windows of the dying:
appear at my call, and share in the fame
of a mischief shall make all Carthage flame.
Appear! Appear!
(enter the witches)
First Witch
Say, beldam, say, what's thy will?
koor
Harm's our delight and mischief all our skill.
Sorceress
The Queen of Carthage, whom we hate,
as we do all in prosp'rous state,
ere sunset shall most wretched prove,
depriv'd of fame, of life and love.
koor
Ho, ho ho ho ho ho!
First Witch
Ruin'd ere the set of sun?
First and Second Witch
Tell us, how shall this be done?
Sorceress
The Trojan Prince you know is bound
by fate to seek Italian ground.
The Queen and he are now in chase.
First Witch
Hark! the cry comes on apace.
Sorceress
But when they've done, my trusty elf,
in form of Mercury himself,
As sent from Jove, shall chide his stay
and charge him sail tonight with all his fleet away.
koor
Ho ho ho, ho ho ho!.
First and Second Witch
But ere we this perform,
we'll conjure for a storm
to mar their hunting sport,
and drive 'em back to court.
Koor
In our deep vaulted cell
the charm we'll prepare,
too dreadful a practice for this open air.
Echo Dance of the Furies
Akte II scène II
the grove (enter Aeneas, Dido, Belinda and train)
Belinda
Thanks to these lonesome vales,
these desert hills and dales.
So fair the game, so rich the sport,
Diana's self might to these woods resort.
koor
Thanks to these lonesome vales, etc.
Dance
Second Woman
Oft she visits this lone mountain,
oft she bathes her in this fountain;
here Acteon met his fate,
pursued by his own hounds,
and after mortal wounds
discover'd too, too late,
here Acteon met his fate.
Aeneas
Behold, upon my bending spear
a monster's head stands bleeding
with tushes far exceeding:
those did Venus' huntsmen tear.
Dido
The skies are clouded. Hark! how thunder
rends the mountain oaks asunder.
Belinda
Haste, haste to town, haste, haste,
this open field
no shelter from the storm can yield.
koor
Haste, haste to town, etc.
(the spirit of the sorceress descends
to Aeneas in likeness of Mercury)
Spirit
Stay, Prince, and hear great Jove's command,
he summons thee this night away.
Aeneas
Tonight?
Spirit
Tonight thou must forsake this land.
The angry god will brook no longer stay.
Jove commands thee, waste no more
in love's delights those precious hours,
allow'd by th'almighty pow'rs
to gain th'Hesperian shore
and ruin'd Troy restore.
Aeneas
Jove's commands shall be obey'd.
Tonight our anchors shall be weigh'd.
But ah! What language can I try
my injur'd Queen to pacify?
No sooner she resigns her heart,
but from her arms I'm forc'd to part.
How can so hard a fate be took?
One night enjoyed, the next forsook.
Yours be the blame, ye gods!
For I obey your will,
but with more ease could die.
"Billadi askara"
Maqam Bayat
(trad. andalusian Mouwashah)
-The One who intoxicates by the scent of her dark lips
Each Cup she sips, and the pearl white teeth
The one who has darkened your eyelids with kohl
Magic bowed down toward him and got close
And the one who made my tears flow like red dye
When you shunned me for no reason
Put your right hand on my breast
It is more suitable than water to put on the flames
Akte III
the ships (enter sailors)
Prelude
First Sailor
Come away, fellow sailors,
our anchors be weighing.
Time and tide will admit no delaying.
Take a boozy short leave
of your nymphs on the shore,
and silence of their mourning
with vows of returning,
but never intending to visit them more.
koor
Come away, fellow sailors, etc.
The Sailor's Dance
(enter Sorceress and Witches)
Sorceress
See the flags and streamers curling,
anchors weighing, sails unfurling!
First Witch
Phoebus' pale deluding beams
gliding o'er deceitful streams.
Second Witch
Our plot has took,
the Queen's forsook!
first and second witch
Elissa's ruined! Ho, ho!
Sorceress
Our next motion must be
to storm her lover on the ocean,
from the ruins of others
our pleasures we borrow,
Elissa bleeds tonight and
Carthage flames tomorrow!
koor
Destruction's our delight,
delight our greatest sorrow;
Elissa dies tonight,
and Carthage flames tomorrow. Ho ho!
The Witches Dance
(enter Dido, Belinda and train)
Dido
Your counsel all is urg'd in vain,
to earth and heaven I will complain.
To earth and heaven why do I call?
Earth and heaven conspire my fall.
To fate I sue, of other means bereft,
the only refuge for the wretched left.
Belinda
See, madam, where the Prince appears,
such sorrow in his look he bears,
as would convince you still he's true.
Aeneas
What should lost Aeneas do?
How, royal fair, shall I impart
the god's degree,
and tell you we must part?
Dido
Thus on the fatal banks of Nile
weeps the deceitful crocodile.
Thus hypocrites that murder act
make heav'n and gods
the authors of the fact.
Aeneas
By all that's good
Dido
By all that's good, no more!
All that's good you have forswore.
To your promis'd empire fly,
and let forsaken Dido die.
Aeneas
In spite of Jove's command I'll stay,
offend the gods and love obey.
Dido
No, faithless man, thy course pursue;
I'm now resolved as well as you.
No repentance shall reclaim
the injur'd Dido's slighted flame.
For 'tis enough, whate'er you now decree,
that you had once a thought of leaving me.
Aeneas
Let Jove say what he please, I'll stay!
Dido
Away, away!
Aeneas
No, no, I'll stay!
Dido
Away, away!
Aeneas
I'll stay, and Love obey.
Dido
Away!
To death I'll fly if longer you delay.
Away, away!
But Death, alas! I cannot shun;
Death must come when he is gone.
"Ahwa Qamaran"
Maqam Saba
(trad. andalusian Mouwashah)
-I like the moon
when his eyes for no reason
hit the heart of lovers
like arrows
koor
Great minds against themselves conspire,
and shun the cure they most desire.
Dido
Thy hand Belinda, darkness shades me,
on thy bosom let me rest.
More I would, but Death invades me;
Death is now a welcome guest.
When I am laid in earth,
may my wrongs create
no trouble in thy breast.
Remember me, remember me,
but ah, forget my fate.
koor
With drooping wings ye Cupids come,
to scatter roses on her tomb,
soft and gentle as her heart.
Keep here your watch and never part.
Epilogue (by Tom D'Urfey)
All that we know the angels do above,
I've read, is that they sing and that they love,
the vocal part we have tonight perform'd.
And if by Love our hearts not yet are warm'd,
great Providence has still more
bounteous been to save us from those
grand deceivers, men.
Here blest with innocence, and peace of mind,
not only bred to virtue, but inclin'd;
we flourish, and defy all human kind.
Art's curious garden thus we learn to know,
and here secure from nipping blasts we grow,
let the vain fop range o'er yon vile lewd town,
learn play-house wit, and vow 'tis all his own;
let him cock, huff, strut, ogle, lie, and swear,
how he's admir'd by such and such a player;
all's one to us, his charms have here no power,
our hearts have just the temper as before;
besides, to shew we live with strictest rules,
our nunnery-door is charm'd to shut out fools;
no love-toy here can pass to private view,
nor China orange cramm'd with billet doux.
Rome may allow strange tricks to please her sons,
but we are protestants and English nuns;
like nimble fawns, and birds
that bless the spring unscarr'd by turning times
we dance and sing; we hope to please,
but if some critic here fond of his wit, designs
to be severe, let not his patience
be worn out too soon; in a few years
we shall be all in tune.
De Nationale Opera dankt Ammodo, VandenEnde Foundation, Staetshuys Fonds, Pieter Houbolt Fonds, donateurs en vrienden voor hun steun aan De Nationale Opera Studio.