After more than three centuries, Henry Purcell’s (1659-95) sole opera Dido and Aeneas remains a treasure. Considered the greatest operatic achievement of 17th century England [1] and the first great English opera, [2] even though a performance only takes little more than an hour, it is often justified as holding its position as the finest English opera ever written until the 20th century.”
Christopher Hoile, a well-known opera critic wrote in an October 2016 review of Dido and Aeneas, performed by Opera Atelier, “One leaves the opera feeling elated as if one had encountered a deserving old friend revitalized by good fortune.”