English National Opera, London Coliseum, London (GB) - 1979

Performances of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas and Poulenc’s Les Mamelles de Tirésias. The former, conducted by Richard Hickox, had Sandra Browne (Dido) mezzo-soprano, Christian du Plessis (Aeneas), Marie McLaughlin soprano, Shelagh Squires mezzo-soprano. The latter (libretto by Apollinaire), conducted by Howard Williams, had Norma Burrowes (Thérèse) soprano and Émile Belcourt (Husband) tenor. What a contrast – the stately tragedy of the Purcell and the comedy of the Poulenc. I certainly preferred the Purcell musically but the Poulenc was fun.