Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria
Freely reconstructed by Hans Werner Henze
Commissioned by the Salzburger Festspiele
Year of composition 1981
Duration 180 minutes
To Franco Serpa with gratitude
World premiere
World premiere 11. August 1985
Salzburger Festspiele · Felsenreitschule
ORF-Symphonieorchester
Production Michael Hampe
Stage and costume design Mauro Pagano
Light design Hans Toelstede
Choreography Marise Flach
Conductor Jeffrey Tate
Comment
My only points of reference in attempting to envision and hear this opera anew, were the catalogue of instruments belonging to the theatre of San Cassiano in Venice (where the work was first performed in 1640/41), Monteverdi’s writings, and, primarily, the scores for the works he himself composed and orchestrated prior to “Ulisse”. All I had to rely on of Monteverdi’s “Ulisse” were the scarce materials that remained (in a copyist’s hand). From these I sought to convincingly recapture, with a modern orchestra, the great range of emotions in Monteverdi’s original.
Hans Werner Henze
Cast
The scene takes place in Ithaka, the island in the Ionian sea
performing the prologue:
| La Fortuna | soprano | |
| Amor | soprano chiaro o voce Bianca | |
| contra-tenore o mezzosoprano | the human frailty | |
| basso | the time | |
| Minerva | soprano | |
| Juno | mezzosoprano | |
| Melantho | mezzosoprano | handmaiden of Penelope |
| Eriklea | mezzosoprano | Odysseus’ nurse |
| Penelope | contralto | wife of Odysseus |
| Jupiter | tenore | |
| Telemach | tenore | son of Odysseus |
| Pisandros | tenore | suitor of Penelope |
| Anfinomos | tenore | suitor of Penelope |
| Eurymachos | tenore | suitor of Penelope |
| Eumaios | tenore | shephard, slave of Odysseus |
| Iros | tenore buffo | a clumsy supporter of the suitors |
| Odysseus | baritone | |
| Neptun | basso | |
| Antinoos | basso | suitor of Penelope |
| coro misto | chorus in heaven |
Instrumentation
| 2 Flauti | anche Ottavini |
| 2 Flauti contralti | 2° anche Flauto basso |
| 1 Oboe | |
| 1 Oboe d’amore | |
| 2 Corni inglesi | 2° anche Heckelphon |
| 2 Clarinetti | |
| 2 Clarinetti bassi | 2° anche Clarinetto contrabbasso |
| 4 Fagotti | 4° anche Controfagotto |
| 4 Corni | |
| 2 Trombe piccole in re | |
| 2 Trombe in do | |
| 2 Tromboni tenori | |
| 2 Tromboni bassi | |
| Timpani | |
| Percussione | Crotali Piatti sopesi Tamburo basco Tomtom Tamburo militare Tumba bassa Grancassa Loo-jon Lastra di metallo Gong cinesi Glockenspiel Vibrafono Marimba Metallofono basso Campane tubolari [per4] |
| Arpa | |
| Celesta | |
| Pianoforte | |
| Chitarra | |
| Chitarra elettrica | |
| Chitarra bassa | |
| Banjo tenore | |
| Mandolino | |
| Fisarmonica | (o Armonio o Organo) |
| 1 Viola d’amore | |
| 7 Viole | |
| 8 Violoncelli | |
| 6 Contrabbassi |