Purcell's Dido and Aeneas stands as the greatest operatic achievement of seventeenth-century England, and yet, despite its global renown, it remains cloaked in mystery. The date and place of its first performance cannot be fixed with precision, and the absolute accuracy of the surviving scores, which date from almost 100 years after the work was written, cannot be assumed. In this thirtieth-anniversary new edition of her book, Ellen Harris closely examines the many theories that have been proposed for the opera's origin and chronology, considering the opera both as political allegory and as a positive exemplar for young women. Her study explores the work's historical position in the Restoration theater, revealing its roots in seventeenth-century English theatrical and musical traditions, and carefully evaluates the surviving sources for the various readings they offer-of line designations in the text (who sings what), the vocal ranges of the soloists, the use of dance and chorus, and overall layout. It goes on to provide substantive analysis of Purcell's musical declamation and use of ground bass. In tracing the performance history of Dido and Aeneas, Harris presents an in-depth examination of the adaptations made by the Academy of Ancient Music at the end of the eighteenth century based on the surviving manuscripts. She then follows the growing interest in the creation of an "authentic" version in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries through published editions and performance reviews, and considers the opera as an important factor in the so-called English Musical Renaissance. To a significant degree, the continuing fascination with Purcell's Dido and Aeneas rests on its apparent mutability, and Harris shows this has been inherent in the opera effectively from its origin. "Harris' comprehensive, concise, and well-organized volume will prove a durable, invaluable guide for musicologist, conductor, singer, stage director, dramaturg, or opera fan." --Ryan James Brandau, Early Music America "The first edition is a fine study, but the renewal of interest in both scholarship and performance of Purcell's works in general and of Dido and Aeneas in particular make the second edition a welcome contribution. ... Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals." --M. J. Duffy IV, CHOICE Purcell's "Dido and Aeneas" is one of the most belovedoperas in the repertory. Divas flock to the title role; Dido's final "Lament"is a showstopper. Schools and colleges worldwide perform it; early-music groupshave made it a mainstay; Mark Morris's choreographed version of it became oneof his most acclaimed dances.And yet what do we really know about this opera? Thirtyyears ago, I wrote a book about "Dido and Aeneas" -- drawn from Virgil's tellingof the abandonment of Dido, the queen of Carthage, by the Trojan hero Aeneas --at a time we thought we had a good grip on it.But I have just completed a wholly revised second edition,and while we've learned quite a bit about "Dido" in the intervening decades, weknow even less than we did then, or at least less than we had imagined. We canno longer say with certainty in what year the opera was written, where it hadits premiere, who performed it or even what the original score contained -- thevery things that normally provide the foundation for our understanding of apiece of music . . . --New York Times (December 17, 2017) With this meticulously revised edition, Ellen Harris brings her account of "Dido and Aeneas" up to date, engaging with recent archival discoveries and scholarly analyses. Her book will provide welcome guidance for students encountering Purcell's masterpiece for the first time and for scholars who have studied this work for decades. Her love for this remarkable opera shines brightly on every page. --James A. Winn, William Fairfield Warren Professor, Emeritus, Boston University In preparing this thorough revision of her 1987 study, Ellen Harris has succinctly distilled thirty years of significant developments in the scholarship on "Dido and Aeneas." Her judicious approach to the controversies surrounding "Dido"'s origins and early performances and her keen understanding of the work's subsequent history from the late seventeenth century to the present day make this book an essential resource both for seasoned scholars and for those new to Purcell's extraordinary musical creation. --Andrew R. Walkling, Associate Professor of Early Modern Studies, Binghamton University Ellen T. Harris is Professor Emeritus at MIT in Music and Theater Arts. Her research has focused largely on the music of Handel. Her books include the award-winning George Frideric Handel: A Life with Friends (Norton, 2014) and Handel as Orpheus: Voice and Desire in the Chamber Cantatas (Harvard, 2001). She has performed twice with John Williams and the Boston Pops and sung the National Anthem at Fenway Park.