CAST

Enée

Gregory Kunde

Chorèbe

Fabio Capitanucci

Panthée

Alexandre Duhamel

Narbal

Giacomo Prestia

Iopas

Shalva Mukeria

Ascagne

Paola Gardina

Cassandre

Anna Caterina Antonacci

Didon

Daniela Barcellona

Anna

Maria Radner

Hylas

Paolo Fanale

Priam

Mario Luperi

Un chef Grec

Ernesto Panariello

L’ombre d’Hector

Deyan Vatchkov

Hèlénus

Oreste Cosimo

1^er soldat Troyen

Guillermo Esteban Bussolini

2^eme soldat Troyen

Alberto Rota

Un soldat

Luciano Andreoli

Le Dieu Mercure

Emidio Guidotti

Hécuba

Elena Zilio

 

Synopsis

The Sack of Troy

Act I

The Greeks have raised their siege of Troy,

and the Trojans, after so many years of war,

at last come out of their walls in exultance.

Believing it to be an offering to Pallas, they

decide to bring into the city the great wooden

horse which the Greeks have abandoned.

All the people think they are safe, and pay no

heed to the prophecies of Cassandra, who instead

sees the departure of the Greeks only

as a trick which will bring about the ruin and

death of all the Trojans.

Fate will have it that Troy shall perish.While

the population celebrates their regained freedom

with games in honour of the gods,

strange events occur. Aeneas reports that

Laocoön struck the wooden horse with a

spear and was immediately devoured by two

hideous snakes. Fearing sacrilege, Priam orders

that the horse be drawn at once into the

city. In vain Cassandra insists on her prophecies

and tries to convince the blinded crowd

of the ruin that awaits them.

Act II

Shortly afterwards, during the night, the

ghost of Hector appears before Aeneas and

announces that Troy is about to be taken by

the Greeks. His destiny is to go to Italy to

found a new city and to die there in glory.As

the Greeks take possession of the city’s walls

and palaces, spreading fire and death,Aeneas

fights the last battle and opens a breach for

himself with his trusty companions, taking

with him Priam’s treasure. Cassandra and the

Trojan women kill themselves rather than fall

into the hands of the conquerors.

The Trojans at Carthage

Act III

The scene is in Carthage, the new city ruled

by Dido. The people are celebrating their

newfound prosperity and wealth. The queen,

during a ceremony, receives the homage of

her hardworking people. The arrival of

foreigners from the sea is announced and Dido

welcomes them cordially. They are the

Trojans, led by Aeneas, whose presence upsets

the queen. At that very moment news

comes that Iarbas, king of the Numidians, is

making ready to conquer Carthage by force.

Aeneas offers to fight beside the Carthaginians

against the barbarian king.

Act IV

Aeneas has won the war against the Numidians

and he and his men have lingered in the

pleasant land of Carthage. In a forest close to

the cit y walls, the royal couple have gone

hunting. The spirits and creatures of the forest

are disturbed by the intrusion of the hunting

party as they ride through the trees. A

storm gathers and violently breaks. Dido and

Aeneas are separated from the others and

take shelter from the storm. Finally, they acknowledge

their love and their union is consummated.

The passion of the lovers is reflected

in the wildness of the storm. The spirits

dance in ecstasy, but the cries that resound

through the forest are of Aeneas’ inevitable

destiny: ‘Italy!’.

The hero and the queen have fallen in love

and their love is looked upon kindly by Dido’s

sister, Anna, but worries the faithful

Narbal. Great festivities. Hunting and dancing

are organized. Aeneas, forgetting the orders

of the gods who wish his destiny to be

fulfilled in Italy, abandons himself to passion.

Dido forgets her faithfulness to her dead husband.

But Mercury intervenes with a warning

cry: Italy!

Act V

Aeneas cannot escape his fate. He is persecuted

by apparitions of the dead and must

make up his mind to depart. Despite his love

for Dido, he must give orders for the fleet to

sail. The separation between the two lovers is

at once dramatic and tender. Dido returns in

despair to her chambers, torn between hate

and love. She asks her sister to implore

Aeneas to stay, but is informed that the Trojan

fleet has already set sail. The queen has a

sacrifice prepared for the gods of Hades, and

on the pyre she kills herself with a sword. She

has a vision of future revenge on Rome by

the hand of Hannibal, but then the prophecy

turns into the total triumph of Rome. The

Carthaginians curse the Romans’ future,

while the complete triumph of the Roman

Empire is announced. The will of the gods is

carried out and Dido’s sacrifice remains fruitless.