One of the world's great orchestras helped make last night a highlight of the Beijing Music Festival (BMF) with the promise of more to come.

The Academy of Ancient Music (AAM) performed Handel's oratorio Messiah at the Wangfujing Catholic Church that was remarkable for its refinement and attention to detail, showing just how much its members are in tune with conductor and harpsichordist Richard Egarr.

Tonight, AAM and Egarr will be back, performing the English composer Henry Purcell's opera Dido and Aeneas at the Beijing Concert Hall, featuring the celebrated Dutch mezzo-soprano Wilke te Brummelstroete as Dido and baritone Maarten Koningsberger as Aeneas.

"It is a must-see performance. AAM is one of the world's first and best period-instrument orchestras. Some Chinese fans may have AAM's CDs of ancient music but this is a rare chance to enjoy them in concert," says Yu Long, BMF's artistic director.

Famed worldwide for the freshness and vitality of its musicianship, the AAM has demonstrated its pre-eminence in baroque music with concerts across six continents and more than 250 recordings since its formation in 1973.

The orchestra specializes in performing with instruments dating from the time when the music was composed. Under the visionary leadership of its founder Christopher Hogwood, it established itself as a leading authority on how music was originally performed. This pioneering work lies at the heart of the AAM's reputation for musical excellence.

In April 2006, Hogwood passed the baton to Egarr and the vibrancy of the brilliant young harpsichordist's performances has thrilled concertgoers around the world.

Egarr's first recording as AAM musical director won the coveted Gramophone Award for baroque instrumental music, considered the Academy Award of classical music.

Dido and Aeneas, the three-act tragedy by Henry Purcell (1659-1695), is England's oldest opera and was first performed in 1689, at a girl's school in London. Sometimes the chorus is repeated and instead of singing it, the chorus dance, often with an entirely separate movement.

Nahum Tate, better known for writing the words to the Christmas Carol While Shepherds Watched, wrote the English libretto for the opera and while it isn't a particularly inspiring piece of poetry, Purcell demonstrates his skill in bringing the words to life.

Nonetheless, Dido and Aeneas is considered a monumental baroque work and arguably Purcell's only true opera.

(China Daily October 15, 2008)