Editorial Review:

Amazon.com:
In this first period-instrument recording of Dido, Andrew Parrott tries to re-create the first known performance of the work--at Josiah Priest's School for Young Gentlewomen in London. Here (as there) the cast includes only one male--David Thomas, whose brawny Aeneas could overwhelm Dido physically as well as emotionally. Judith Nelson is a warm, sweet-toned Belinda; the Sorceress gets a vivid, raucous, love-it-or-hate-it performance by the legendary medieval-cum-folk-singer Jantina Noorman. Emma Kirkby, early in her career, sounds eloquent but extremely youthful as Dido--barely past her teens. This makes for a different, perhaps more credible, tragedy: a new, slightly immature queen, servant rather than mistress of her emotions, angrily refuses to take back the lover who abandoned her--only to die heartbroken after banishing him. --Matthew Westphal

Rating: - Brilliantly Cast but not Brilliantly Recorded
Henry Purcell: Dido and Aeneas. Opera in 3 Acts. Words by Nahum Tate. First performed in 1689 at Josias Priest's Boarding School, Chelsea. Performers: Emma Kirkby (Dido); Judith Nelson (Belinda); Judith Rees (second woman); David Thomas (Aeneas); Jantine Noorman (Sorceress); Emily van Evera and Rachel Bevan (Entchantresses); Tessa Bonner (Spirit); Rachel Bevan (Sailor); the Tavener Choir and the Taverner Players, dir. Andrew Parrott. Recorded at Rosslyn Hill Chapel, London on 3rd to 5th January, ... Read More

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Rating: - Parrott parrotts
I am a big of early music. In particular, I enjoy early music done on original intsruments. Unfortunately, I was quite disappointed listening to this recording of great music. I enjoyed the singing on this recording, but the orchestral excusions were poorly done. Thanks to Parrott's skewed version, music is was lifeless, boring and poorly done. Despite what the critics say about Parrott, I have found all of his recordings utterly boring, and unamuzing. There are not even academic. This piece ... Read More

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Rating: - An hour of unalloyed pleasure
I studied "Dido and Aeneas" about two years ago having performed in it at school, and at this precise moment I am four weeks away from another production with the York University Chamber Choir. In the words of our conductor Peter Seymour, this piece is indeed an hour of unalloyed pleasure, and this is one of the best out of at least five recordings I am familiar with.

Emma Kirkby's wonderfully pure voice is just the thing to create the true Dido effect: most other soprani interpret it ... Read More

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Rating: - After one listen...
I was introduced to Dido's lament at the end of the opera by my intro to music lit class; Emma Kirkby's on this album makes it worth buying.