After the success of the DVDs devoted to Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme and Cadmus &

Hermione, Vincent Dumestre and Le Poème Harmonique continue their exploration

of repertoires of the 17th century.

This piece, combining theatre and music, allowed Purcell to achieve his dramatic

ideal. In fact, he wrote only a single opera in his short career - he died at the age of

36 -, but with it, he left us a gem of rare beauty and extreme concision. The work's

genius is also due in part to the quality of the libretto, skilfully put together by

Nahum Tate.

Cécile Roussat and Julien Lubek, stage directors coming from the arts of the circus

and the mime Marceau, had already collaborated with Le Poème Harmonique

on the Carnaval Baroque. Here, they combine mime, dance and acrobatics with

the music in a moving, magical production.