Dido’s famous lament, “When I am laid in earth,” has long featured in Joyce DiDonato’s repertoire – and she has triumphed as the tragic Queen of Carthage in Berlioz’s Les Troyens – but it was in early 2024 that she first performed Purcell’s opera in its entirety. “DiDonato was, as one might expect, magnificent in a role that suits her down to the ground,” wrote The Guardian, “probing Dido’s desire and anguish with singing of characteristically understated subtlety … [She was] the leader of a fine ensemble, as it proved to be an evening of superb singing across the board, both solo and choral.” This new recording preserves the cast of a recent acclaimed tour of Dido and Aeneas with the early music ensemble Il Pomo d’Oro led by Maxim Emelyanychev. The cast includes Fatma Said as Belinda, Michael Spyres as Aeneas, Beth Taylor as the Sorceress, and Hugh Cutting as the Spirit.