Monteverdi's The Return of Ulysses

Based on the final chapters of Homer’s timeless poem the Odyssey, Monteverdi’s late masterpiece is an epic yet intimate story of love, constancy and sacrifice.

This show was performed in June, 2019.

City Recital Hall Sydney

Monteverdi's The Return of Ulysses

After ten years fighting in the Trojan War and ten more years wandering on the seas, Ulysses has finally returned home. But everything has changed during his absence, and instead of a hero’s welcome, Ulysses finds his palace occupied by rival kings keen to seduce his wife Penelope and kill his son. Will he be able to regain his wife and home?

Fernando Guimarães, last seen in Australia in the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra’s Handel: Heaven and Harmony, stars as Ulysses, a role he has sung to international acclaim. Australian mezzo-soprano Catherine Carby, whose ravishing tone and deeply moving performances have earned her rave reviews around the world, joins him as Penelope.

PROGRAM

Monteverdi The Return of Ulysses

Sung in Italian with English surtitles

City Recital Hall Sydney

This performance will run for approximately 3 hours including an interval.

There will be a talk about the history of the piece 45 minutes before each performance.

ARTIST INFORMATION

Fernando Guimarães Ulysses

Catherine Carby Penelope

Lauren Lodge-Campbell Ericlea, Minerva, Fortuna, Sirena I

Roberta Diamond Amore, Melanto, Giunone

Nicholas Tolputt Feace I, Pisandro, Marittimo I

Brenton Spiteri Telemaco, Feaco II, Celeste

Mark Wilde Iro, Marittimo II

Jacob Lawrence Giove, Eumete

Douglas Kelly Eurimaco, Anfinomo, Marittimo III

Wade Kernot Tempo, Nettuno, Antinoo

Orchestra of the Antipodes

Erin Helyard Conductor

Chas Rader-Shieber Director

Melanie Liertz Designer

Nicholas Rayment Lighting Designer

LISTEN

Claudio Monteverdi

Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi was born in Cremona in 1567. He was the son of a doctor and the eldest of five children. Not much is known about his youth. Claudio and his brother studied music with a Marc Antonio Ingegneri who was the cathedral composer, though there is no evidence that either sang in the choir.

Monteverdi was a prodigy, publishing his first work, Cantiunculae sacrae, a volume of sacred songs, as a 15 year-old. His second book was published the following year and in 1584 his third book was published by the Venetian house which would become his main publisher, Vincenti & Amadino. Three years later, aged 19, he published his First Book of Madrigals.

History and Story
of The Return of Ulysses

Combining an action-packed plot with a musical exploration of the full range of human emotions, The Return of Ulysses broke new musical ground at its Venice premiere in 1640, written during the last five years of Monteverdi’s life.

The story, taken from the second half of Homer's Odyssey, tells how constancy and virtue are ultimately rewarded, and treachery and deception are overcome.

After his long journey home from the Trojan Wars, Ulysses, King of Ithaca, finally returns after 20 years to his kingdom where he finds that much has changed, including a trio of villainous suitors are importuning his faithful queen, Penelope. It’s a story with lots of contemporary references – about refugees and how we treat them; about being away and trying to find a home, and runs the full gamut of emotions from comedy to tragedy.

Monteverdi's flexible writing for the voice shifts between conversational sung speech (recitative), pure song (aria) and a combination of the two (arioso) in a brilliant way of conveying the characters’ changing emotions, their personalities and social status. The orchestration is magnificent and includes the haunting, rich-toned lirone and the delicate theorbo and harp.

The Return of Ulysses is Monteverdi at his best.