Dido and Aeneas

Dido and Aeneas is a libretto written by Nahum Tate, first performed in 1689, and set to music by Henry Purcell. This early opera, based on Book IV of Virgil's Aeneid, tells the tragic love story between Dido, the Queen of Carthage, and Aeneas, a Trojan hero destined to found Rome. The work is notable for its dramatic depth and has become a staple in the early opera repertoire, often praised for its emotional resonance and musical composition.