Jobe 2026 en

After Venus and Adonis by John Blow, created by the 2024 promotion of the Jeune Orchestre Baroque Européen, Sylvain Sartre continues his exploration of the first English operas with Henry Purcell’s masterpiece.

Composed six years after his teacher’s work, Purcell drew inspiration from it, adopting a tightly woven three-act structure, a limited number of characters, and particular attention to the choruses and the final scene. Yet Dido and Aeneas stands apart through the expressive power of its music and the emotional intensity of its drama: the work has become one of the undisputed jewels of the Baroque repertoire.

“Queen of Carthage, Dido succumbs to the love of Aeneas, the exiled Trojan hero. But the gods, ever cruel, send false messengers to part the lovers. Torn between passion and duty, Dido chooses death, while Aeneas departs—carrying with him remorse and the inescapable weight of a shattered destiny.”