European Science Photo Competition 2015 participate now!

Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria

Opera by Claudio Monteverdi

Head of Odysseus (Ulisse), from the Sperlonga sculptures

Librettist

Giacomo Badoaro

Language

Italian

Based on

Homer's Odyssey

Premiere

16391640 Carnival season

Teatro Santi Giovanni e Paolo,Venice

Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria (SV 325, The Return of Ulysses to his Homeland) is an opera
consisting of a prologue and five acts (later revised to three), set by Claudio Monteverdi to
a libretto by Giacomo Badoaro. The opera was first performed at the Teatro Santi Giovanni e
Paolo in Venice during the 16391640 carnival season. The story, taken from the second half
of Homer'sOdyssey,[n 1] tells how constancy and virtue are ultimately rewarded, treachery and
deception overcome. After his long journey home from the Trojan Wars Ulisse, king of Ithaca,
finally returns to his kingdom where he finds that a trio of villainous suitors are importuning his
faithful queen, Penelope. With the assistance of the gods, his son Telemaco and a staunch friend
Eumete, Ulissevanquishes the suitors and recovers his kingdom.
Il ritorno is the first of three full-length works which Monteverdi wrote for the burgeoning Venetian
opera industry during the last five years of his life. After its initial successful run in Venice the

opera was performed in Bologna before returning to Venice for the 164041 season. Thereafter,
except for a possible performance at the Imperial court in Vienna late in the 17th century, there
were no further revivals until the 20th century. The music became known in modern times
through the 19th-century discovery of an incomplete manuscript score which in many respects is
inconsistent with the surviving versions of the libretto. After its publication in 1922 the score's
authenticity was widely questioned, and performances of the opera remained rare during the
next 30 years. By the 1950s the work was generally accepted as Monteverdi's, and after revivals
in Vienna and Glyndebourne in the early 1970s it became increasingly popular. It has since been
performed in opera houses all over the world, and has been recorded many times.
Together with Monteverdi's other Venetian stage works, Il ritorno is classified as one of the first
modern operas. Its music, while showing the influence of earlier works, also demonstrates
Monteverdi's development as a composer of opera, through his use of fashionable forms such
as arioso, duet and ensemble alongside the older-style recitative. By using a variety of musical
styles, Monteverdi is able to express the feelings and emotions of a great range of characters,
divine and human, through their music. Il ritorno has been described as an "ugly duckling", and
conversely as the most tender and moving of Monteverdi's surviving operas, one which although
it might disappoint initially, will on subsequent hearings reveal a vocal style of extraordinary
eloquence.
Contents
[hide]

1 Historical context

2 Creation
o

2.1 Libretto

2.2 Composition

2.3 Authenticity

3 Roles

4 Synopsis

4.1 Prologue

4.2 Act 1

4.3 Act 2

4.4 Act 3

5 Reception and performance history

o

5.1 Early performances

5.2 Modern revivals

6 Music

7 List of musical items

8 Recording history

9 Editions

10 References

11 External links

Historical context[edit]

The composer c. 1640

Monteverdi was an established court composer in the service of Duke Vincenzo

Gonzaga in Mantua when he wrote his first operas,L'Orfeo and L'Arianna, in the years 160608.
[1]
After falling out with Vincenzo's successor, Duke Francesco Gonzaga, Monteverdi moved to
Venice in 1613 and became director of music at St Mark's Basilica, a position he held for the rest
of his life.[2] Alongside his steady output of madrigals and church music, Monteverdi continued to
compose works for the stage, though not actual operas. He wrote several ballets and, for the
Venice carnival of 162425, Il combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda ("The Battle of Tancred and
Clorinda"), a hybrid work with some characteristics of ballet, opera and oratorio. [3][n 2]
In 1637 fully-fledged opera came to Venice with the opening of the Teatro San Cassiano.
Sponsored by the wealthy Tron family, this theatre was the first in the world specifically devoted
to opera.[5] The theatre's inaugural performance, on 6 March 1637,
wasL'Andromeda by Francesco Manelli and Benedetto Ferrari. This work was received with great
enthusiasm, as was the same pair's La Maga fulminata the following year. In rapid succession
three more opera houses opened in the city, as the ruling families of the Republicsought to
express their wealth and status by investing in the new musical fashion. [5] At first, Monteverdi
remained aloof from these activities, perhaps on account of his age (he was over 70), or perhaps
through the dignity of his office as maestro di capella at St. Mark's. Nevertheless, an unidentified
contemporary, commenting on Monteverdi's silence, opined that the maestro might yet produce
an opera for Venice: "God willing, one of these nights he too will step onto the stage." [6] This
remark proved prescient; Monteverdi's first public contribution to Venetian opera came in the
163940 carnival season, a revival of his L'Arianna at the Teatro San Mois.[7][n 3]
L'Arianna was followed in rapid succession by three brand new Monteverdi operas, of which Il
ritorno was the first.[9] The second, Le nozze d' Enea in Lavinia ("The Marriage of Aeneas to
Lavinia"), was performed during the 164041 carnival; Monteverdi's music is lost, but a copy of
the libretto, of unknown authorship, survives. The last of the three, written for the 164243

carnival, was L'incoronazione di Poppea ("The Coronation of Poppea"), performed shortly before
the composer's death in 1643.[7][10]

Creation[edit]
Libretto[edit]

18th-century edition of Homer'sOdyssey, the source of the libretto for Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria

Giacomo Badoaro (16021654) was a prolific poet in the Venetian dialect who was a member of
the Accademia degli Incogniti, a group of free-thinking intellectuals interested in promoting
musical theatre in VeniceBadoaro himself held a financial interest in the Teatro Novissimo. [11] Il
ritorno was his first libretto; he would later, in 1644, write another Ulysses-based libretto
for Francesco Sacrati.[11] The text of Il ritorno, originally written in five acts but later reorganised as
three, is a generally faithful adaptation of Homer's Odyssey, Books 1323, with some
characterisations altered or expanded. Badoaro may have been influenced in his treatment of the
story by the 1591 playPenelope by Giambattista della Porta.[12] The libretto was written with the
express purpose of tempting Monteverdi to enter the world of Venetian opera, and it evidently
captured the elderly composer's imagination.[12][13] Badoaro and Monteverdi used a classical story
to illustrate the human condition of their own times.[14]
The Monteverdi scholar Ellen Rosand has identified 12 versions of the published libretto that
have been discovered in the years since the first performance.[15] Most of these appear to be
18th-century copies, possibly from a single source; some are literary versions, unrelated to any
theatrical performances. All but one of the 12 identify Badoaro as the author, while the other
gives no name. Only two refer to Monteverdi as the composer, though this is not significant
composers' names were rarely given on printed librettos. The texts are all generally the same in
each case, and all differ from the one surviving copy of Monteverdi's musical score, which has
three acts instead of five, a different prologue, a different ending, and many scenes and
passages either omitted or rearranged.[15][16] Some of the libretto copies locate the opera's first
performance at Teatro San Cassiano, although Teatro SS Giovanni e Paolo is now generally
accepted as the opening venue.[17]

Composition[edit]
It is not known when Monteverdi received the libretto from Badoaro, but this was presumably
during or before 1639 since the work was being prepared for performance in the 163940
carnival. In keeping with the general character of Venetian opera, the work was written for a
small bandaround five string players and various continuo instruments. This reflected the
financial motives of the merchant princes who were sponsoring the opera housesthey
demanded commercial as well as artistic success, and wanted to minimise costs. [7] As was
common at the time, precise instrumentation is not indicated in the score, which exists in a single
handwritten manuscript discovered in the Vienna National Library in the 19th century.[12][n 4]
A study of the score reveals many characteristic Monteverdi features, derived from his long
experience as a composer for the stage and of other works for the human voice. Rosand
believes that rather than casting doubts on Monteverdi's authorship, the significant differences
between the score and the libretto might lend support to it, since Monteverdi was well known for

his adaptations of the texts presented to him.[13] Ringer reinforces this, writing that "Monteverdi
boldly reshaped Badoaro's writing into a coherent and supremely effective foundation for a music
drama", adding that Badoaro claimed that he could no longer recognise the work as his own.
[9]
Contemporaries of the composer and the librettist saw an identification between Ulysses and
Monteverdi; both are returning home"home" in Monteverdi's case being the medium of opera
which he had mastered and then left, 30 years earlier.[19]

Authenticity[edit]
Before and after the publication of the score in 1922, scholars questioned the work's authenticity,
and its attribution to Monteverdi continued to be in some doubt until the 1950s. The Italian
musicologist Giacomo Benvenuti maintained, on the basis of a 1942 performance in Milan, that
the work was simply not good enough to be by Monteverdi. [20] Apart from the stylistic differences
between Il ritorno and Monteverdi's other surviving late opera, L'incoronazione di Poppea, the
main issue which raised doubts was the series of discrepancies between the score and the
libretto [13] However, much of the uncertainty concerning the attribution was resolved through the
discovery of contemporary documents, all confirming Monteverdi's role as the composer. These
documents include a letter from the unknown librettist of Le nozze d'Enea in Lavinia, which
discusses Monteverdi's setting of Il ritorno.[21] There is also Badoaro's preface to the Il
ritorno libretto, addressed to the composer, which includes the wording "I can firmly state that my
Ulysses is more indebted to you than ever was the real Ulysses to the ever-gracious Minerva".
[22]
A 1644 letter from Badoaro to Michelangelo Torcigliani contains the statement "Il ritorno
d'Ulisse in patria was embellished with the music of Claudio Monteverdi, a man of great fame
and enduring name".[22] Finally, a 1640 booklet entitled Le Glorie della Musica indicates the
Badoaro-Monteverdi pairing as the creators of the opera.[23] In the view of conductor and
instrumentalist Sergio Vartolo, these findings establish Monteverdi as the principal composer
"beyond a shadow of a doubt".[24] Although parts of the music may be by other hands, there is no
doubt that the work is substantially Monteverdi's and remains close to his original conception. [25]

Roles[edit]
The work is written for a large castthirty roles including small choruses of heavenly beings,
sirens and Phaeciansbut these parts can be organised among fourteen singers
(three sopranos, two mezzo-sopranos, one alto, six tenors and two basses) by appropriate
doubling of roles. This approximates to the normal forces employed in Venetian opera. In the
score, the role of Eumete changes midway through Act II from tenor to soprano castrato,
suggesting that the surviving manuscript may have been created from more than one source. In
modern performances the latter part of Eumete's role is usually transposed to a lower range, to
accommodate the tenor voice throughout.[26]
Role

Voice type

Appearances

L'umana Fragilit (Human frailty) mezzo-soprano

Prologue

Tempo (Time) god

bass

Prologue

Fortuna (Fortune) goddess

soprano

Prologue

Amore (Cupid) god

soprano

Prologue

Notes

The role may initially have

been played by a boy soprano,

possibly Costantino Manelli[27]

Penelope Wife to Ulisse

mezzo-soprano

Act 1: I, X
Act 2: V, VII,
XI, XII
Act 3: III, IV,
V, IX, X

Ericlea Penelope's nurse

mezzo-soprano

Act 1: I
Act 3: VIII, X

Melanto attendant to Penelope

soprano

Act 1: II, X
Act 2: IV
Act 3: III

Eurimaco a servant to Penelope's

suitors

tenor

Act 1: II
Act 2: IV, VIII

Nettuno (Neptune) sea-god

bass

Act 1: V, VI
Act 3: VII

The role was probably sung, in

Venice and Bologna, by the
impresario Francesco Manelli[27]

A renowned Venetian tenor,

Giovan Battista Marinoni, may
have appeared in the initial
Venice run as Giove.[26]

Giove (Jupiter) supreme god

tenor

Act 1: V
Act 3: VII

Coro Faeci (Chorus of

Phaeacians)

alto, tenor, bass

Act 1: VI

tenor

Act 1: VII,
VIII, IX, XIII
Act 2: II, III,
IX, X, XII
Act 3: X

soprano

Act 1: VIII, IX
Act 2: I, IX,
XII
Act 3: VI, VII

Ulisse (Ulysses or Odysseus)

King of Ithaca

Minerva goddess

The role was initially sung, in

Venice and Bologna, by Giulia
Paolelli[27]

The role was initially sung, in

Venice and Bologna, by
Maddalena Manelli, wife of
Francesco.[27]

Eumete a shepherd

tenor

Act 1: XI, XII,

XIII
Act 2: II, VII,
X, XII
Act 3: IV, V, IX

Iro a parasite

tenor

Act 1: XII
Act 2: XII
Act 3: I

Telemaco (Telemachus) son of

Ulisse

tenor

Act 2: I, II, III,

XI
Act 3: V, IX, X

Antinoo (Antinous) suitor to

Penelope

bass

Act 2: V, VIII,
XII

Pisandro (Peisandros) suitor to

Penelope

tenor

Act 2: V, VIII,
XII

Anfinomo (Amphinomus) suitor

to Penelope

alto
or countertenor

Act 2: V, VIII,
XII

Giunone (Juno) goddess

soprano

Act 3: VI, VII

Coro in Cielo (Heavenly chorus)

soprano, alto,
tenor

Act 3: VII

Coro marittimo (Chorus of sirens)

soprano, tenor,
bass

Act 3: VII

Synopsis[edit]
The action takes place on and around the island of Ithaca, ten years after the Trojan Wars.
English translations used in the synopsis are from Geoffrey Dunn's version, based on Raymond
Leppard's 1971 edition,[28] and from Hugh Ward-Perkins's interpretation issued with Sergio
Vartolo's 2006 recording for Brilliant Classics.[29] Footnotes provide the original Italian.

Prologue[edit]
The spirit of human frailty (L'umana fragilit) is mocked in turn by the gods of Time (Tempo),
Fortune (Fortuna) and Love (Amore). Man, they claim, is subject to their whims: "From Time,
ever fleeting, from Fortune's caresses, from Love and its arrows...No mercy from me!" [n 5] They
will render man "weak, wretched and bewildered." [n 6]

Act 1[edit]

Ulisse lies on the shore, as the Faeci ship is turned to stone by Neptune; an illustration of how this dramatic
effect could be realised in the opera house.

In the palace at Ithaca, Penelope mourns the long absence of Ulysses: "The awaited one does
not return, and the years pass by."[n 7] Her grief is echoed by her nurse, Ericlea. As Penelope
leaves, her attendant Melanto enters with Eurimaco, a servant to Penelope's importunate suitors.
The two sing passionately of their love for each other ("You are my sweet life"). [n 8] The scene
changes to the Ithacan coast, where the sleeping Ulisse is brought ashore by the Phaecians
(Faeci), whose action is in defiance of the wishes of gods Giove and Nettuno. The Phaecians are
punished by the gods who turn them and their ship to stone. Ulysses awakes, cursing the
Phaecians for abandoning him: "To your sails, falsest Phaeacians, may Boreas be ever hostile!" [n
9]
From the goddess Minerva, who appears disguised as a shepherd boy, Ulisse learns that he is
in Ithaca, and is told of "the unchanging constancy of the chaste Penelope", [n 10] in the face of the
persistent importunings of her evil suitors. Minerva promises to lead Ulisse back to the throne if
he follows her advice; she tells him to disguise himself so that he can penetrate the court
secretly. Ulisse goes to seek out his loyal servant Eumete, while Minerva departs to search for
Telemaco, Ulisse's son who will help his father reclaim the kingdom. Back at the palace, Melanto
tries vainly to persuade Penelope to choose one of the suitors: "Why do you disdain the love of
living suitors, expecting comfort from the ashes of the dead?" [n 11]In a wooded grove Eumete,
banished from court by the suitors, revels in the pastoral life, despite the mockery of Iro, the
suitors' parasitic follower, who sneers: "I live among kings, you here among the herds." [n 12] After
Iro is chased away, Ulisse enters disguised as a beggar, and assures Eumete that his master the
king is alive, and will return. Eumete is overjoyed: "My long sorrow will fall, vanquished by you." [n
13]

Act 2[edit]

A depiction (circa 330 BC) of the slaying of Penelope's suitors

Minerva and Telemaco return to Ithaca in a chariot. Telemaco is greeted joyfully by Eumete and
the disguised Ulisse in the woodland grove: "O great son of Ulysses, you have indeed returned!" [n
14]
After Eumete goes to inform Penelope of Telemaco's arrival a bolt of fire descends on Ulisse,
removing his disguise and revealing his true identity to his son. The two celebrate their reunion
before Ulisse sends Telemaco to the palace, promising to follow shortly. In the palace, Melanto
complains to Eurimaco that Penelope still refuses to choose a suitor: "In short, Eurymachus, the
lady has a heart of stone."[n 15] Soon afterwards Penelope receives the three suitors (Antinoo,

Pisandro, Anfinomo), and rejects each in turn despite their efforts to enliven the court with singing
and dancing: "Now to enjoyment, to dance and song!" [n 16] After the suitors' departure Eumete tells
Penelope that Telemaco has arrived in Ithaca, but she is doubtful: "Such uncertain things
redouble my grief."[n 17] Eumete's message is overheard by the suitors, who plot to kill Telemaco.
However, they are unnerved when a symbolic eagle flies overhead, so they abandon their plan
and renew their efforts to capture Penelope's heart, this time with gold. Back in the woodland
grove, Minerva tells Ulisse that she has organised a means whereby he will be able to challenge
and destroy the suitors. Resuming his beggar's disguise, Ulisse arrives at the palace, where he
is challenged to a fight by Iro, ("I will pluck out the hairs of your beard one by one!" [n 18]), a
challenge he accepts and wins. Penelope now states that she will accept the suitor who is able to
string Ulisse's bow. All three suitors attempt the task unsuccessfully. The disguised Ulisse then
asks to try though renouncing the prize of Penelope's hand, and to everyone's amazement he
succeeds. He then angrily denounces the suitors and, summoning the names of the gods, kills all
three with the bow: "This is how the bow wounds! To death, to havoc, to ruin!" [n 19]

Act 3[edit]
Deprived of the suitors' patronage, Iro commits suicide after a doleful monologue ("O grief, O
torment that saddens the soul!"[n 20]) Melanto, whose lover Eurimaco was killed with the suitors,
tries to warn Penelope of the new danger represented by the unidentified slayer, but Penelope is
unmoved and continues to mourn for Ulisse. Eumete and Telemaco now inform her that the
beggar was Ulisse in disguise, but she refuses to believe them: "Your news is persistent and your
comfort hurtful."[n 21] The scene briefly transfers to the heavens, where Giunone, having been
solicited by Minerva, persuades Giove and Nettune that Ulisse should be restored to his throne.
Back in the palace the nurse Ericlea has discovered Ulisse's identity by recognising a scar on his
back, but does not immediately reveal this information: "Sometimes the best thing is a wise
silence."[n 22] Penelope continues to disbelieve, even when Ulisse appears in his true form and
when Ericlea reveals her knowledge of the scar. Finally, after Ulisse describes the pattern of
Penelope's private bedlinen, knowledge that only he could possess, she is convinced. Reunited,
the pair sing rapturously to celebrate their love: "My sun, long sighed for! My light, renewed!" [n 23]

Reception and performance history[edit]

Early performances[edit]

Floor plan of the Teatro SS Giovanni e Paolo, where Il ritorno was premired in 1640

Il ritorno was first staged during the 163940 Venice carnival by the theatrical company of Manelli
and Ferrari, who had first brought opera to Venice. The date of the Il ritorno premire is not
recorded. According to Carter the work was performed at least ten times during its first season; it
was then taken by Manelli to Bologna, and played at the Teatro Castrovillani before returning to
Venice for the 164041 carnival season.[13][30]From markings in the extant score, it is likely that the
first Venice performances were in five acts, the three-act form being introduced either in Bologna
or in the second Venice season.[31] A theory offered by Italian opera historian Nino Pirrotta that the

Bologna performance was the work's premire is not supported by subsequent research. [8] The
opera's revival in Venice only one season after its premire was very unusual, almost unique in
the 17th century, and testifies to the opera's popular successRinger calls it "one of the most
successful operas of the century".[7]Carter offers a reason for its appeal to the public: "The opera
has enough sex, gore and elements of the supernatural to satisfy the most jaded Venetian
palate."[32]
The venue for Il ritorno's premire was at one time thought to be the Teatro Cassiano, but
scholarly consensus considers it most likely that both the 163940 and 164041 performances
were at the Teatro SS Giovanni e Paolo. This view is supported by a study of the performance
schedules for other Venice operas, and by the knowledge that the Manelli company had severed
its connection with the Teatro Cassiano before the 163940 season. [33] The Teatro SS Giovanni e
Paolo, owned by the Grimani family, would also be the venue for the premires of
Monteverdi's Le nozze d'Enea and Poppea.[34] In terms of its staging Il ritorno is, says Carter,
fairly undemanding, requiring three basic setsa palace, a seascape and a woodland scene
which were more or less standard for early Venetian opera. It did, however, demand some
spectacular special effects: the Phaecian ship turns to stone, an airborne chariot transports
Minerva, a bolt of fire transforms Ulisse.[35]
After the Venice 164041 revival there is no record of further performances of Il ritorno in Venice,
or elsewhere, before the discovery of the music manuscript in the 19th century. The diacovery of
this manuscript in Vienna suggests that at some time the opera was staged there, or at least
contemplated, perhaps before the Imperial court. [18] The Monteverdi scholar Alan Curtis dates the
manuscript's arrival in Vienna to 1675, during the reign of the Emperor Leopold I who was a
considerable patron of the arts, and opera in particular.[31][36]

Modern revivals[edit]

The gods Giunione and Giove, who combine to assure Ulisse of a successful return

The Vienna manuscript score was published by Robert Haas in 1922.[37] Publication was followed
by the first modern performance of the opera, in an edition by Vincent d'Indy, in Paris on 16 May
1925.[38] For the next half-century performances remained rare. The BBC introduced the opera to
British listeners with a radio broadcast on 16 January 1928, again using the d'Indy edition. [38] The
Italian composer Luigi Dallapiccola prepared his own edition, which was performed in Florence in
1942, and Ernst Krenek's version was shown in Wuppertal, Germany, in 1959.[13][38] The first
British staging was a performance at St. Pancras Town Hall, London, on 16 March 1965, given
with the English Chamber Orchestra conducted by Frederick Marshall.[39][40]
The opera entered a wider repertory in the early 1970s, with performances in Vienna (1971)
and Glyndebourne (1972).[38] The Vienna performance used a new edition prepared by Nikolaus
Harnoncourt, whose subsequent partnership with the French opera director Jean-Pierre
Ponnelle led to the staging of the opera in many European cities. Ponnelle's 1978 presentation in
Edinburgh was later described as "infamous";[41]at the time, critic Stanley Sadie praised the
singers but criticised the production for its "frivolity and indeed coarseness". [42] In January 1974 Il
ritorno received its United States premire at Washington's Kennedy Center, on the basis of the
Harnoncourt edition.[43] More recently the opera has been performed at the New York Lincoln
Center by New York City Opera, and at other venues throughout the United States.[44] A

2006 Welsh National Opera production by David Alden, designed by Ian McNeil, featured neon
signs, stuffed cats, a Neptune in flippers and a wet suit, Minerva in the form of the aviatrixAmelia
Earhart, and Jupiter as a small-time hustler, an interpretation defended by the critic Anna Picard
"the gods were always contemporary fantasies, while an abandoned wife and a humbled hero
are eternals." [45]
The German composer Hans Werner Henze was responsible for the first two-act version, which
was produced at the Salzburg Festival on 11 August 1985, with divided critical reaction.[46] Twoact productions have since become increasingly common. [9] The South African artist and
animator William Kentridge devised a version of the opera based on the use of puppets and
animated film, using around half of the music. This version was shown in Johannesburg in 1998
and then toured the world, appearing at New York'sLincoln Center in 2004 and at the Edinburgh
Festival in 2009.[47][48]

Music[edit]
According to Denis Arnold, although Monteverdi's late operas retain elements of the
earlier Renaissance intermezzo and pastoral forms, they may be fairly considered as the first
modern operas.[49] In the 1960s, however, music reviewer Richard Johnson found it necessary to
warn prospective Il ritorno listeners that if they expected to hear opera akin
toVerdi, Puccini or Mozart, they would be disappointed: "You have to submit yourself to a much
slower pace, to a much more chaste conception of melody, to a vocal style that is at first or
second hearing merely like dry declamation and only on repeated hearings begins to assume an
extraordinary eloquence."[50] A few years later, Jeremy Noble in aGramophone review wrote that Il
ritorno was the least known and least performed of Monteverdi's operas, "quite frankly, because
its music is not so consistently full of character and imagination as that of Orfeo or
Poppea."[51] Arnold called the work an "ugly duckling".[52] Later analysts have been more positive;
to Mark Ringer Il ritorno is "the most tender and moving of Monteverdi's operas", [53] while in Ellen
Rosand's view the composer's ability to portray real human beings through music finds its fullest
realisation here, and inPoppea a few years later.[13]
Penelope's aria Di misera
regina, from Act 1 scene I

MENU
0:00

Live recording

Problems playing this file? See media help.

The music of Il ritorno shows the unmistakable influence of the composer's earlier works.
Penelope's lament, which opens Act I, is reminiscent both of Orfeo's Redentemi il mio ben and
the lament from L'Arianna. The martial-sounding music which accompanies references to battles
and the killing of the suitors, derives from Il combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda, while for the
song episodes in Il ritorno Monteverdi draws in part on the techniques which he developed in his
1632 vocal work Scherzi musicale.[54] In typical Monteverdi fashion the opera's characters are
vividly portrayed in their music.[52] Penelope and Ulisse, with what is described by Ringer as
"honest musical and verbal declamation", overcome the suitors whose styles are "exaggerated
and ornamental".[53] Iro, perhaps "the first great comic character in opera", [55] opens his Act 3

monologue with a wail of distress that stretches across eight bars of music. [56] Penelope begins
her lament with a reiteration of E flats that, according to Ringer, "suggest a sense of motionless
and emotional stasis" that well represents her condition as the opera begins. [55] At the work's end,
her travails over, she unites with Ulisse in a duet of life-affirming confidence which, Ringer
suggests, no other composer bar Verdi could have achieved.[57]
Rosand divides the music of Il ritorno into "speech-like" and "musical" utterances. Speech,
usually in the form of recitative, delivers information and moves the action forward, while musical
utterances, either formal songs or occasional short outbursts, are lyrical passages that enhance
an emotional or dramatic situation.[58] This division is, however, less formal than in Monteverdi's
earlier L'Orfeo; in Il ritorno information is frequently conveyed through the use of arioso, or
even aria at times, increasing both tunefulness and tonal unity.[25] As with Orfeo and Poppea,
Monteverdi differentiates musically between humans and gods, with the latter singing music
which is usually more profusely melodicalthough in Il ritorno, most of the human characters
have some opportunity for lyrical expression.[12] According to reviewer Ian Fenlon, "it is
Monteverdi's mellifluous and flexible recitative style, capable of easy movement between
declamation and arioso, which remains in the memory as the dominant language of the
work."[59] Monteverdi's ability to combine fashionable forms such as the chamber
duet and ensembles with the older-style recitative from earlier in the century further illustrate the
development of the composer's dramatic style.[46][49] Monteverdi's trademark feature of "stilo
concitato" (rapid repetition of notes to suggest dramatic action or excitement) is deployed to good
effect in the fight scene between Ulisse and Iro, and in the slaying of the suitors. [60][61] Arnold
draws attention to the great range of characters in the operathe divine, the noble, the servants,
the evil, the foolish, the innocent and the good. For all of these "the music expresses their
emotions with astonishing accuracy."[49]

List of musical items[edit]

The following is a list of the "scenes" into which the libretto is divided. Each separate scene is
typically a mixture of musical elements: recitative, arioso, arietta and sometimes ensemble, with
occasional instrumental interludes.
Scene

Performed by

First lines[n 24]

Notes

Prologue

Prologue

L'humana fragilat,
Tempo, Fortuna,
Amore

Mortal cosa son io

(I am mortal)

Act 1

1: Scene I

Penelope, Ericlea

Di misera regina non

terminati mai dolenti
affani!
(Miserable Queen,
sorrow and trouble
never end!)

In the libretto prologue the gods are

Fato, Fortezza and Prudenza (Fate,
Strength and Prudence)[31]

1: Scene
II

Melanto, Eurimaco

Duri e penosi son gli

amorosi fieri desir
(Bitter and hard are
the lovers' cruel
torments)

1: Scene
III

Maritime scene, music missing from

score

1: Scene
IV

Music only

1: Scene
V

Nettuno, Giove

Superbo l'huom
(Man is proud)

1: Scene
VI

Chorus of Faeci,
Nettuno

In questo basso mondo

(In this base world)

1: Scene
VII

Ulisse

Dormo ancora o son

desto?
(Am I still asleep, or
am I awake?)

1: Scene
VIII

Minerva, Ulisse

Cara e lieta giovent

(Dear joyful time of
youth)

Minerva, Ulisse

Tu d'Aretusa a fonte
intanto vanne
(Go thou meanwhile to
the fountain of
Arethusa)

Penelope, Melanto

Donata un giorno, o
dei, contento a' desir
miei
(Grant me one day, ye
gods, content to all my
wishes)

1: Scene
IX

1: Scene
X

1: Scene
XI

Eumete

The sleeping Ulisse is placed ashore by

the Faeci

Come, oh come mal si

salva un regio amante
(O how badly does a

In some editions this scene begins with a

Chorus of Sirens, using other music.[62]

Act 1 in the five-act libretto ends here

loving king save

himself)

1: Scene
XII

1: Scene
XIII

Iro, Eumete

Pastor d'armenti pu
prati e boschi lodar
(A keeper of cattle can
praise meadows and
woods)

Eumete, Ulisse

Ulisse generoso! Fu
nobile intrapresa
End of Act 1 (score)
{Noble Ulysses! You
undertook noble deeds)

Act 2

Telemaco, Minerva

Lieto cammino, dolce

viaggio
(Happy journey, sweet
voyage)

Eumete, Ulisse,
Telemaco

Oh gran figlio d'Ulisse!

pur ver che tu torni
O great son of Ulysses,
is it true you have
come back?)

Telemaco, Ulisse

Che veggio, ohim,

che miro?
(What do I see, alas,
what do I behold?)

2: Scene
IV

Melanto, Eurimaco

Eurimaco! La donna
insomma haun cor di
sasso
(Eurymachus, in short
the lady has a heart of
stone)

2: Scene
V

Antinoo, Pisandro,
Anfinomo, Penelope

2: Scene I

2: Scene
II

2: Scene
III

Sono l'altre regine

coronate di servi e tu
d'amanti
(Other queens are
crowned by servants,

Act 2 in the five-act libretto ends here

you by lovers)

2: Scene
VI

"Ballet of the Moors", music missing

from score

2: Scene
VII

Eumete, Penelope

Apportator d'altre
novelle vengo!
(I come as bearer of
great tidings!)

2: Scene
VIII

Antinoo, Anfinomo,
Pisandro, Eurimaco

Compagni, udiste?
(Friends, did you
hear?)

Ulisse, Minerva

Perir non pu chi tien

per scorta il cielo
(He who has heaven as
an escort cannot
perish)

Eumete, Ulisse

Io vidi, o pelegrin, de'

Proci amanti
(I saw, O wanderer, the
amorous suitors)

2: Scene
XI

Telemaco, Penelope

Del mio lungo viaggio

i torti errori gi vi
narrari
(The tortuous ways of
my long journey I have
already recounted)

2: Scene
XII

Antinoo, Eumete, Iro,

Ulisse, Telemaco,
Penelope, Anfinomo,
Pisandro

Sempre villano Eumete

(Always a lout,
Act 4 in the five-act libretto ends here
Eumete...)

2: Scene
IX

2: Scene
X

Act 3

Iro
3: Scene I

O dolor, o martir che

l'alma attrista
(O grief, O torment

Act 3 in the five-act libretto ends here.

In Henze's two-act version Act 1 ends
here

that saddens the soul)

Scene not set to music because

Monteverdi considered it "too
melancholy".[56] The souls of the dead
suitors are seen entering hell.

3: Scene
II

Melanto, Penelope

E quai nuovi rumori,

(And what strange
uproars)

Eumete, Penelope

Forza d'occulto affetto

raddolcisce il tuo petto
(The power of a hidden
affection may calm
your breast)

Telemaco, Penelope

saggio Eumete,
saggio!
(Eumaeus is truly
wise!)

3: Scene
VI

Minerva, Giunone

Fiamma e l'ira, o gran

dea, foco lo sdegno!
(Anger is the flame, O
great goddess, hatred
is the fire)

3: Scene
VII

Giunone, Giove,
Nettuno, Minerva,
Heavenly Chorus,
Chorus of Sirens

Gran Giove, alma de'

dei,
(Great Jove, soul of
the gods)

3: Scene
VIII

Ericlea

Ericlea, che vuoi far?

(Eurycleia, what will
you do?)

Penelope, Eumete,
Telemaco

Ogni nostra ragion sen

porta il vento
(All your reason is
borne away by the
wind)

3: Scene
III

3: Scene
IV

3: Scene
V

3: Scene
IX

3: Scene
X

O delle mie fatiche

meta dolce e soave
(O sweet, gentle
ending of my troubles)

Ulisse, Penelope,
Ericlea

End of opera

Recording history[edit]
Further information: Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria discography
The first recording of the opera was issued in 1964 by Vox, a version which incorporated
substantial cuts.[20] The first complete recording was that of Nikolaus Harnoncourt andConcentus
Musicus Wien in 1971.[63] Raymond Leppard's 1972 Glyndebourne version was recorded in a
concert performance in the Royal Albert Hall; the following year the same Glyndebourne cast
was recorded in a full stage performance. Leppard's third Glyndebourne version was issued in
1980, when the orchestration with strings and brass drew critical comment from Denis Arnold in
his Gramophone review: "Too much of the music left with a simple basso continuo line in the
original has been fully orchestrated with strings and brass, with the result that the expressive
movement between recitative, arioso and aria is obscured." Much the same criticism, says
Arnold, may be levelled at Harnoncourt's 1971 recording. [64]
Among more recent issues is the much praised 1992 Ren Jacobs performance with Concerto
Vocale, "a recording that all serious Monteverdians will wish to return to frequently", according to
reviewer Iain Fenlon.[59] Jacobs's version is in the original five-act form, and uses music by Luigi
Rossi and Giulio Caccini for some choruses which appear in the libretto but which are missing
from Monteverdi's score.[65] More than thirty years after his first issue, Harnoncourt's 2002
version, with Zurich Opera, was recorded live in DVD format. While the quality of the vocal
contributions were praised, Harnoncourt's "big-band score" and bold instrumentation were
highlighted by Gramophone critic Jonathan Freeman-Attwood as a likely source of future debate.
[66]

Editions[edit]
Since the publication of the Vienna manuscript score in 1922 the opera has been edited
frequently, sometimes for specific performances or recordings. The following are the main
published editions of the work, to 2010.

Robert Hass (Vienna, 1922 in the series Denkmler der

Tonkunst in sterreich)[67]

Vincent d'Indy (Paris, 1926)[13]

Gian Francesco Malipiero (Vienna, 1930 in Claudio Monteverdi:

Tutte le opere)[13]

Luigi Dallapiccola (Milan, 1942)[68]

Ernst Krenek (Wuppertal, 1959)[38]

Nikolaus Harnoncourt (Vienna, 1971)[38]

Raymond Leppard (London, 1972)[13]

Hans Werner Henze (Salzburg, 1985)[68]

Alan Curtis (London, 2002)[31]

References[edit]
Notes
1.

Jump up^ "Ulysses" is the Latin form of the Greek "Odysseus",

hero of the Odyssey

2.

Jump up^ Monteverdi scholar Tim Carter draws attention to the

difficulties in allocating Il combattimento to a specific genre
neither secular oratorio, nor opera, nor ballet, but with some
features from all these. "Several authors can say what it is not ....
But no one can say quite what it is."[4]

3.

Jump up^ An indication of Monteverdi's status at the time is

revealed by the dedication in a reprinted libretto forL'Arianna.
Monteverdi is described as "most celebrated Apollo of the century
and the highest intelligence of the heavens of humanity." [8]

4.

Jump up^ Ringer credits the discovery to the Austrian composer

and historian August Wilhelm Ambros, in 1881. However, if
Ambros made the discovery, the year must have been earlier, as
he died in 1876.[18]

5.

Jump up^ Il Tempo ch'affretta, Fortuna ch'alletta, Amor che

saetta...Pietate non ha!

6.

Jump up^ Fragile, misero, torbido quest'uom sar

7.

Jump up^ L'aspettato non giunge, e pur fuggotto gli anni (1.I)

8.

Jump up^ Dolce mia vita, mia vita sei! (1.II)

9.

Jump up^ Falsissimi Faeci, sempre Borea nemico (1.VII)

10. Jump up^ Di Penelope casta l'immutabil costanza (1.VIII)

11. Jump up^ A che sprezzi gli ardort de' viventi amatori per attener
conforti Dal cenere de' morti? (1.X)
12. Jump up^ Col tra regi io sto, tu fra gli armenti qui (1.XII)
13. Jump up^ Il mio lungo cordoglio da te vinto cadr (1.XIII)
14. Jump up^ O gran figlio d'Ulisse, pur ver che tu torni (2.II)
15. Jump up^ Eurimaco, la donna insomma ha un cor di sasso (2.IV)
16. Jump up^ All'allegrezze dunque, al ballo, al canto! (2.V)
17. Jump up^ Per si dubbie novelle o s'addopia il mio male. (2.VII)
18. Jump up^ E che s che ti strappo i peli della barba ad uno ad
ono! (2.XII)

19. Jump up^ Cos l'arco ferisce! Alle morti, alle stragi, alle ruine!
(2.XII)
20. Jump up^ O dolor, O martir, che l'alma attrista! (3.I)
21. Jump up^ Relatore importuno, consolator nocivo! (3.IV)
22. Jump up^ Bella cosa tavolta un bel tacer (3.VIII)
23. Jump up^ Sospirato mio sole! Rinnovata mia luce! (3.X)
24. Jump up^ Translations based on Geoffrey Dunn and Hugh WardPerkins

Citations
1.

Jump up^ Carter (2002), pp. 12

2.

Jump up^ Neef, p. 324

3.

Jump up^ Carter, Tim (2007). Macy, Laura (ed.), ed. "Monteverdi,
Claudio: Venice". Oxford Music Online. Retrieved7
February 2010. (subscription required)

4.

Jump up^ Carter (2002), pp. 17273

5.

^ Jump up to:a b Ringer, pp. 13031

6.

Jump up^ Rosand (1991), pp. 1516

7.

^ Jump up to:a b c d Ringer, pp. 13536

8.

^ Jump up to:a b Rosand (1991), p. 18

9.

^ Jump up to:a b c Ringer, pp. 13738

10. Jump up^ Carter (2002), p. 305

11. ^ Jump up to:a b Walker, Thomas. Macy, Laura (ed.), ed. "Badoaro,
Giacomo". Oxford Music Online. Retrieved 7
February2010. (subscription required)
12. ^ Jump up to:a b c d Ringer, pp. 14041
13. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f g h i Rosand, Ellen (2007). Macy, Laura (ed.),
ed. "Ritorno d'Ulisse in patria". Oxford Music Online. Retrieved 7
February 2010. (subscription required)
14. Jump up^ Ringer, p. 145
15. ^ Jump up to:a b Rosand (2007), pp. 5256
16. Jump up^ Rosand (1991), p. 53
17. Jump up^ Rosand (2007), pp. 5758
18. ^ Jump up to:a b Ringer, p. 139

19. Jump up^ Ringer, p. 142

20. ^ Jump up to:a b "Monteverdi: Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria
complete". The Gramophone (Haymarket): p. 100. September
1971. Retrieved 18 February 2010.(registration rquired)
21. Jump up^ Rosand and Varolo, pp. 2123
22. ^ Jump up to:a b Rosand and Vartolo, p. 24
23. Jump up^ Rosand and Vartolo, p. 25
24. Jump up^ Rosand and Vartolo, p. 20
25. ^ Jump up to:a b Chew, Geoffrey (2007). Macy, Laura (ed.),
ed."Monteverdi, Claudio: Works from the Venetian years". Oxford
Music Online. Retrieved 21 February 2010.(subscription required)
26. ^ Jump up to:a b Carter (2002), pp. 101103
27. ^ Jump up to:a b c d Rosand and Vartolo, p. 1
28. Jump up^ Dunn, Geoffrey (translator) (1972). Il ritorno d'Ulisse in
Patria: Italian and English libretto. London: Faber Music Ltd.
29. Jump up^ Rosand, Ellen and Vartolo, Sergio (2005). Preface to
recording: Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria: Monteverdi's Five-Act
Drama (CD). Leeuwarden (Netherlands): Brilliant Classics 93104.
30. Jump up^ Carter (2002), p. 240
31. ^ Jump up to:a b c d Cascelli, Antonio (2007). "Claudio Monteverdi:Il
ritorno d'Ulisse in patria: ed. Alan Curtis". Music and
Letters (Oxford) 88 (2): 395398.doi:10.1093/ml/gcl152.
Retrieved 11 February 2010.(subscription required)
32. Jump up^ Carter (2002), p. 238
33. Jump up^ Rosand (2007), pp. 5558
34. Jump up^ Ringer, p. 217
35. Jump up^ Carter (2002), p. 84
36. Jump up^ Sadie (2004), pp. 46, 73
37. Jump up^ Carter (2002), p. 237
38. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f Kennedy, p. 732
39. Jump up^ "Concert programmes: Cyril Eland collection". Arts and
Humanities Research Council. Retrieved 12 February2010.
40. Jump up^ Warrack & West, p. 603

41. Jump up^ Forbes, Elizabeth (5 January 2007). "Werner Hollweg

(obituary)". The Independent (London). Retrieved10
February 2007.
42. Jump up^ Sadie, Stanley (4 September 1978). "Il ritorno d'Ulisse
in patria: Review". The Times (London). p. 9.
43. Jump up^ "Central Opera Services Bulletin, Spring 1973" (PDF).
Central Opera Services. Retrieved 10 February 2010.
44. Jump up^ "Classical Music and Dance Guide". The New York
Times. 2 November 2001. Retrieved 10 February 2010.
45. Jump up^ The Independent on Sunday, ABC p.13 A poignant
homecoming , 24 September 2006
46. ^ Jump up to:a b Cassaro, James P. (September 1987). "Claudio
Monteverdi: Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria". Notes (San Diego: Music
Library Association) 44: 166
67.doi:10.2307/941012. JSTOR 941012. (subscription required)
47. Jump up^ Gurewitsch, Matthew (29 February 2004). "Music: Into
the Heart of Darkness, with Puppets". The New York Times.
Retrieved 11 February 2010.
48. Jump up^ Ashby, Tim (24 August 2009). "Il ritorno d'Ulisse in
patria: Kings Theatre, Edinburgh". The Guardian(London).
Retrieved 11 February 2010.
49. ^ Jump up to:a b c Arnold, Denis. "Claudio Monteverdi: Three
decades in Venice". Britannica Online. Retrieved21
February 2010.
50. Jump up^ Johnson, David (May 1965). "For the Record". The
North American Review (University of Northern Iowa)250: pp. 63
64. JSTOR 25116167. (subscription required)
51. Jump up^ Noble, Jeremy (September 1971). "Monteverdi: Il
ritorno d'Ulisse in patria complete". Gramophone(London:
Haymarket): p. 100. Retrieved 20 February2010. (registration
required)
52. ^ Jump up to:a b Arnold, Denis (December 1980). "The Return of
Ulysses". Gramophone (London: Haymarket): p. 106.
Retrieved 19 February 2010. (registration required)
53. ^ Jump up to:a b Ringer, p. 143
54. Jump up^ Carter (2002), p. 250
55. ^ Jump up to:a b Ringer, p. 149
56. ^ Jump up to:a b Ringer, pp. 20001
57. Jump up^ Ringer, p. 211
58. Jump up^ Rosand, Ellen (1995). "Monteverdi's Il ritorno d'Ulisse
and the power of "music"". Cambridge Opera Journal(Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press) 7 (3): pp. 179

84. doi:10.1017/s0954586700004559.JSTOR 823638. (subscription

required)

59. ^ Jump up to:a b Fenlon, Ian (March 1993). "Monteverdi: Il ritorno

d'Ulisse in patria". Gramophone (London: Haymarket): p. 101.
Retrieved 19 February 2010. (registration required)
60. Jump up^ Beat, p. 294
61. Jump up^ Robinson, p. 70
62. Jump up^ Dunn, p. 17
63. Jump up^ "Monteverdi: Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria
complete".Gramophone (London: Haymarket): p. 100. February
1972. Retrieved 19 February 2010. (registration required)
64. Jump up^ Arnold, Denis (December 1980). "The Return of
Ulysses". Gramophone (London: Haymarket): p. 106.
Retrieved 19 February 2010. (registartion required)
65. Jump up^ March, p. 222
66. Jump up^ Freeman-Attwood, Jonathan (April 2003). "Monteverdi:
Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria". Gramophone (London: Haymarket): p.
95. Retrieved 19 February 2010.(registration required)
67. Jump up^ Carter (2002), p. 5
68. ^ Jump up to:a b Carter (2002), p. 9

Sources

Beat, Janet E. in (eds) Arnold, Denis and Fortune, Nigel (1968). The
Monteverdi Companion. London: Faber and Faber.

Carter, Tim (2002). Monteverdi's Musical Theatre. New Haven: Yale

University Press. ISBN 0-300-09676-3.

Dunn, Geoffrey (translator) (1972). Il ritorno d'Ulisse in Patria: Italian

and English libretto. London: Faber Music Ltd.

Kennedy, Michael (2006). Oxford Dictionary of Music. Oxford: Oxford

University Press. ISBN 0-19-861459-4.

Neef, Sigrid (ed.) (2000). Opera: Composers, Works, Performers

(English edition). Cologne: Knemann. ISBN 3-8290-3571-3.

Ringer, Mark (2006). Opera's First Master: The Musical Dramas of

Claudio Monteverdi. Newark N.J.: Amadeus Press. ISBN 1-57467-1103.

Robinson, Michael F. (1972). Opera before Mozart. London:

Hutchinson & Co. ISBN 0-09-080421-X.

Rosand, Ellen (1991). Opera in Seventeenth-Century Venice: the

Creation of a Genre. Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN 0520-25426-0.

Rosand, Ellen (2007). Monteverdi's Last Operas: a Venetian trilogy.

Los Angeles: University of California Press.ISBN 0-520-24934-8.

Sadie, Stanley (ed.) (2004). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Opera.

London: Flame Tree Publishing. ISBN 1-84451-026-3.

Warrack, John; West, Ewan (1992). The Oxford Dictionary of Opera.

Oxford: The Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0198691648.

Complete libretto (with Spanish translation)

External links[edit]

[show]

Homer's Odyssey (8th century BC)

[show]

Claudio Monteverdi

Opera portal
GND: 300105843

Authority control

Categories:

Odyssey

Operas by Claudio Monteverdi

Italian-language operas

1640 operas

Operas

Operas based on Greco-Roman mythology

Works based on the Odyssey

Navigation menu

Create account

Not logged in

Talk

Contributions

Log in

Article

Read
Edit
View history
Go

Main page

Contents

Featured content

Current events

Random article

Donate to Wikipedia

Wikipedia store
Interaction

Help

About Wikipedia

Community portal

Recent changes

Contact page
Tools

What links here

Related changes

Upload file

Special pages

Permanent link

Page information

Wikidata item

Cite this page

Print/export

Create a book

Download as PDF

Printable version
Languages

Catal

Dansk

Deutsch

Espaol

Franais

Italiano

Latina

Magyar

Norsk bokml

Portugus

Simple English

Suomi

Svenska

Trke

Edit links

Talk

This page was last modified on 4 November 2015, at 11:16.

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License;

additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of
Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia
Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.

Privacy policy

About Wikipedia

Disclaimers

Contact Wikipedia

Developers

Mobile view