Background Information: Dido and Aeneas has a well-defined key structure Purcell used major keys to evoke happiness and minor keys to evoke sadness. Key changes from major to minor are fairly common device used to illustrate happiness and sadness. It changes from tonic minor to tonic major ( C minor to C major), rather than tonic minor to relative major. There are 39 songs in total

Keys by the character: C minor- Dido C major ( trumpet key)- Dido, Belinda/ 2 nd woman, Sorceress, witches F major- Belinda G major- Aeneas G minor- Dido

Keys by the theme/ emotion: C minor- Introduction/ Tragedy C major (Trumpet key)- Ceremony and battle: key for Purcell D minor- Retrained grief E minor- Hate key F major (lowest key note on treble)- Love key: Purcell, strongly associated with peace Belinda F minor- horror G major: Royalty G minor ( lowest note “g” symbolises the grave)- Death Bb ( favourite oboe key)- Bacchic jollity

The OPERA: The witches in the cave scene ( hunting party in the grove scene): F tonality of this scene is interrupted by the key of D Aeneas enters in scene two, the tonality shifts from C major to E minor showing that Aeneas formed an interruption to Dido’s life.

Minor Key Used to Express Sadness Uncertainty –Dido is afraid of her feelings, and tone begins with C minor. Overture: Horror Dido’s Anguish/Death –Dido’s Lament Tragedy Dido’s Lament performed by Jessye Norman

Using Keys to Express Emotion Shifts from major to minor indicate a change in mood Major Keys used to evoke happiness –Belinda’s Optimism –Witches celebrating success –Triumph and Celebration

Example: See, see, your royal guest appears Belinda (b1), in C Major Aeneas (b4), in G Major Dido (b8), has D minor harmony. Many keys are present in the piece – each shows different personality.