Claudio Monteverdi: il Ritorno d'Ulisse in Patria

Overview

After ten years battling in the Trojan War—and another ten on an epic journey homeward—Ulysses returns to his homeland. Disguised as a beggar, the king of Ithaca must recover his wife, his son, and his people... Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria (Venice, 1640), directed here by Klaus-Michael Grüber and conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt, achieves a perfect dramatic balance, stirring the imagination and instantly transporting the viewer to a long-ago time. The all-star cast features one of the earliest recorded appearances by the great Jonas Kaufmann, who makes his presence felt as Ulisse's son Telemaco.

Directed by Felix Breisach

Top cast

Vesselina Kasarova

Pénélope

Dietrich Henschel

L'humanita fragilita / Ulisse

Malin Hartelius

Melanto

Isabel Rey

Minerva/ Amore

Martina Janková

Fortuna/ Giunone

Cornelia Kallisch

Ericlea

Jonas Kaufmann

Telemaco

R

Rudolf Schasching

Iro

R

Reinhard Mayr

Antinoo

M

Martin Zysset

Pisandro

T

Thomas Mohr

Eumete

M

Martin Oro

Anfinimo

P

Pavel Daniluk

Nettuno

G

Giuseppe Scorsin

Tempo

A

Anton Scharinger

Giove

Boguslaw Bidzinski

Eurimaco

Nikolaus Harnoncourt

Lui-même, chef d'orchestre

Details