The circumstances of the composition of Purcell’s only opera, Dido and Æneas, are unclear. First performed in the 1680s, it received few performances in the composer’s lifetime, before disappearing until its revival at the very end of the nineteenth century. This miniature – poetic, dramatic, delightfully melodic, and containing some unforgettably beautiful vocal pieces (Dido’s “Lament”, the Witches’ songs) – has enjoyed great success ever since.

Jonas Descotte and his young ensemble Les Argonautes (named after the heroes who accompanied Jason in the quest for the Golden Fleece) have chosen this work for their recording debut.

Taking the intimate approach, one musician per part, the conductor sculpts his sound material in order to capture the very essence of the work’s musical and dramatic content, sublimated here by an attractive vocal cast, in which Camille Allérat, Renato Dolcini, Anthea Pichanick and Julie Roset are particularly outstanding.

Between historical practice and modernity, the conductor, in perfect symbiosis with his musicians, delivers here a highly polished and intense interpretation, swept by the winds of freedom.