A pioneer in the development of opera, Claudio Monteverdi took vocal music beyond Renaissance polyphony into an era in which genuine feelings and emotions could be expressed. Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria is part of a late flowering in Monteverdi’s illustrious career, and is considered the most profoundly tender and moving of his operas. Its hero Ulysses is forced to undergo cruel tests, hardships, treachery and deception before he can be reunited with his beloved queen Penelope and recover his kingdom. This acclaimed production is conducted by renowned early music specialist Ottavio Dantone, who considers Il ritorno di Ulisse in patria to be ‘the most beautiful opera ever written’.

‘“It is the most beautiful opera in history.” Ottavio Dantone has no doubts. For him, as a harpsichordist and conductor with a superlative knowledge of ancient performance practice, Claudio Monteverdi’s Il Ritorno di Ulisse in Patria is unparalleled in any other era.’ – La Repubblica Firenze

‘The conductor is Maestro Dantone, a specialist in this genre, who relies on his Accademia Bizantina instead of the Maggio orchestra for the instrumental part. This is an obvious choice, given that we are talking about a 17th century opera whose performance requires the use of period instruments such as the lute, the theorbo or the six-stringed violone, which have little or nothing to do with the instruments of a modern orchestra.’ – Il Reporter

‘Ottavio Dantone’s conducting obviously makes a decisive contribution to the success of the performance. He is well-balanced and brilliant in his use of accents and sonorities under the guidance of his precious instrumentalists from the Accademia Bizantina. The tasteful conducting and the softness of the gesture give soul, theatricality and colours to the not so short opera, for which, it is worth remembering, in every performance the conductor makes fundamental choices regarding orchestration and harmonisation.’ – Opera Click

Cast:
- Ulisse: Charles Workman (tenor)
- Telemaco: Anicio Zorzi Giustiniani (tenor)
- Penelope: Delphine Galou (alto)
- Iro: John Daszak (tenor)
- Il Tempo: Francesco Milanese (bass)
- Giunone: Marina De Liso (mezzo-soprano)
- La Fortuna: Eleonora Bellocci (soprano)
- L’Humana fragilità: Pierre-Antoine Chaumien (tenor), Miriam Albano (mezzo-soprano), Mark Milhofer (tenor)
- Giove: Gianluca Margheri (baritone)
- Nettuno: Guido Loconsolo (baritone)
- Minerva: Arianna Vendittelli (soprano)
- Amore: Konstantin Derri (countertenor)
- Antinoo: Andrea Patucelli (bass)
- Anfinomo: Pierre-Antoine Chaumien (tenor)
- Pisandro: James Hall (countertenor)
- Melanto: Miriam Albano (mezzo-soprano)
- Eurimaco: Hugo Hymas (tenor)
- Eumete: Mark Milhofer (tenor)
- Ericlea: Natascha Petrinsky (mezzo-soprano)