The Return of Ulysses to His Homeland by Monteverdi, mán 17 sep 2012, Frá (2012/2012), Leikstýrt af Claus Guth,, Hljómsveitarstjóri Christophe Rousset, Theater an der Wien, Vienna, Austria

After Monteverdi had created the first masterpiece of the new opera genre in 1607 with his L'Orfeo, premiered at the Mantuan court, 30 years later he composed two more operas for Venice, where public opera houses had existed since 1637 : Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria based on a libretto by Giacomo Badoaro based on Homer's Odyssey, first performed 1639/40, and L'incoronazione di Poppea, first performed shortly before his death in 1643. Il Tempo (transience), La Fortuna (fate) and Amore (love) make l'Umana fragilità (human frailty) clear in the prologue that every mortal is a plaything of these three. A drastic example of this is provided by the story of Ulisse's return home: for ten years he besieged Troy, and for another ten years his return was prevented by the wrath of the sea god Nettuno. If the goddess Minerva were not on his side, his wandering might never end. With her help, he can pass the last test that is placed on him after arriving in his native Ithaca: to recapture his wife Penelope. So far she has kept the space at her side free; but since everyone thinks her husband is dead, she is being courted more and more by three suitors. After Ulisse has knocked the rivals out of the field, Penelope refuses to recognize him as the missing husband. Only a renewed intervention by the gods clears the way for the reunification of those who have been separated so long. Monteverdi wins the portrait of a modern person from the mythical figure of Odysseus through his no-frills, at the same time emotionally charged music, who is shaped by his traumatic experiences in the war. The portrayal of Penelope is just as fascinating; she mourns what was believed to be lost in such an intense way that she does not want to admit the real encounter with him. Claus Guth continues his Monteverdi cycle with Il ritorno d 'Ulisse in patria. As in L'Orfeo, his approach is to use the 380-year-old piece to trace the fate of people who could be our contemporaries.