Customer Reviews

Monteverdi/Henze - Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria / Jeffrey Tate, Salzburg Festival (1985) [VHS]

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is one of my very favorite videos. Allen's double duty as
L'Umana fragilita & Ulisse makes perfect sense. I think the work goes to another level when this pairing is practiced.

Allen is naked enough for us to get the idea. Ideally, L'Umana fragilita SHOULD be naked, however, I don't believe we as a society are quite advanced enough for this nudity not to get in the way of the message. Some day.

For me, one of the most heart lifting moments in all of opera occurs is the recognition and scene ending duet which occurs between Ulisse and Telemaco. In the space of a moment, Allen's Ulisse changes from old man (far more then just a disguise, in my opinion), to father reunited with his long lost son, and warrior/hero finally ready to return home to his beloved. A
magnificent characterization.

There isn't a false moment in this production and Allen & Kathleen Kuhlmann's final duet is as glorious to see as it is to hear.

At first hearing, Henze's realizations of Monteverdi's score puzzled me just a bit however now it falls beautifully on the ear. While some have denounced it as unlistenable, I think it's among Henze's finest achievements. If you have only room for one type of interpretation - authentic - this is not the video for you. While I love authentic sounding Monteverdi, I have more than ample room to enjoy this production.

The physical production is wonderful and gives the singers great space to work in.

I revisit this DVD with great frequency and cannot recommend it highly enough.

p.

I can't believe this production of Il Ritorno D'Ulisse is so put down by the other reviewers. I enjoyed the every second of it. It's not conducted by Harnoncourt but it's very well arranged. The staging is awesome. Magnificent! Well structed, well crafted. The direction is superb and the haunting story goes flawlessly. The singers are the top notch and they look the part and are really great actors. They are also well directed, too. The costume and make-up are very well done. The video quality is quite good and the sound quality is excellent(Dolby Digital 5.1). It's a terrific production. Don't be fooled by the others and don't miss this magnificent production!

Let me admit right off the bat that early twentieth century opera -- Puccini, Strauss, and Janacek -- is my first love. I put off for a long time getting this Monteverdi work, fearing that it would be a bloodless, continuo-dominated bore. What an eye-opener it was when I finally bought it and watched it! This opera has nothing but gorgeous, dramatic music from beginning to end.

It helps that this production has a world-class cast, headed by Sir Thomas Allen. I think (and this is admittedly a personal opinion) that it also helps that the orchestration has been done by a world-class contemporary composer. Since Monteverdi's orchestration, if in fact he ever did it, has not survived, the choices are limited: create some presumably Monteverdi-like imitation, or go with what works best. Henze did the latter, and the result is music to my ears. The staging and technical aspects of the production are also admirable.

This production may not appeal to period purists, but I found it most enjoyable, and suspect that other aficianados of modern opera will as well.

It's like Monteverdi himself came back to bring this
Opera up to date ! STAGING MAKES FANTASTIC CONCEPTS
MANIFEST INTO REALITY-- surreal. Zeus IS on a throne in
the clouds with an eagle stained glass window, Diane's chariot
IS riding the clouds, Neptune DOES rise out of the Sea in
a chariot drawn by giant sea horses. Ulysses cries out
as Saturn (the grim reaper with wings), cupid, and destiny
ACTUALLY terrify him AND YOU !!! The singing done on a stage
that looks like a giant atom-- AND YOU ARE THERE !
The camera-man does his job well, and it's NOT like camera
on a tripod. The recording is clear. The performance is
outstanding. The orchestra does an excellent job with
modern instruments-- the only way it could have been more
authentic would be to break out museum instruments !!!
Monteverdi clearly intented music for scenes like
Neptune rising out of the sea and Zeus thundering in the
heavens to have a "KINGLY" sound like a entrance for CAESAR
(or something like that)--GODS NEED THE HORNS -- and the
ORF Symphony Orchestra does an excellent job of providing them.
The music is supposed to provide an AWESOME sound effect,
and the use of instrumentation provides that.
Unlike "L'ORFEO", where the music often needs to be that of sweet
nymphs and shepherds, "IL RITORNO D'ULISSE IN PATRIA" is about
large gods and large scale events.

My main interest to see Hans Werner Henze "Il Ritorno d'Ulisse in Patria" was provoked by a reference to this production by Rene Jacobs, in his own recording of the same opera:

Monteverdi - Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria / Concerto Vocale, Jacobs

In the booklet for that excellent recording Rene Jacobs is polemising about the problem of an orchestration and even of a re-scoring of 'Il Ritorno", since Monteverdi did not specify exactly the size of the orchestra and the instruments, except a few - such a trumpets usage for gods, three harpsichords, four strings and two lutes. The "recitar cantando" of the actor-singer in Monteverdi's times was supported by chords played by no more than these few instruments, more or less. The number depended on the size and the hall and the budget at the disposal of the theater. However, for this very reason the orchestration was changing often from one production to another. In addition, the instruments used to improvise the accompaniment to the voices from the composer's figured bass, adapting their playing to the specific expression of the singer. That also speaks of significant liberty and differences between one production to another.

Another issue is that the libretto of "Il Ritorno" was never printed, although several manuscript copies of it exist, together with a score, also in manuscript, in Vienna. However, there are discrepancies between the libretto manuscripts and the musical manuscripts.

All of the above had given rise to various interpretations and orchestrations of this opera. The timeless classic production is firmly entrenched in Nikolaus Harnoncourt's hands in 1970s:

Monteverdi - Il Ritorno d'Ulisse in Patria

yet when comparing it to Rene Jacobs' aforementioned version, one can easily notice many cuts that Harnoncourt's version has. Thus it appears that many have tried to tame "Il Ritorno" to their own vision, and I was interested to see one by Hans Werner Henze, since he is a very important modern composer.

My overall impression of this production is good. It is true that to the ear trained to the customary "Monteverdi" presentation in a more traditional style like Harnoncourt's or Jacobs' this sounds quite shocking at the beginning. I have heard clear references to Richard Strauss - for example, teh use of the keyboard/piano to accompany "cantar passagio" style of Gods singing; Strauss uses it for moments of waking up to reality in his 'Ariadne auf Naxos", i.e. the piano there is a voice of reason and rational.

Then, there are unquestionable very strong references to Puccini; at times this "Ritorno" sounds like Turandot; and sometimes a bit like Debussy, there is something oriental in Henze's version; later on it dawns upon that he probably wanted to stress Greek connection to the Orient. Henze himself seems to take a lot of interest in Orient, according to one of his later operas, based on an Arabic tale:

Henze - L'Upupa und der Triumph der Sohnesliebe / Goerne, Aikin, Ainsley, Muff, Kohler, Stenz, Salzburg Opera

As the music proceeds, one gets warmed up to the idea, although at times it does sound too much like a rock band; yet towards the end, the scene of suitors with Telemachus and later, the allusions to Greek folk music sirtaki are really quite refreshing and brilliant, I'd say, as they remind the listener that we are in Greece. I found it a very witty and pleasant musical nuance.

Overall, the use of modern orchestra allowed Henze to express the ideas and emotions more vividly, and probably this version is more appealing to those who are used to 19th century orchestral and operatic sound. Perhaps it was a good idea to bring Monteverdi to wider audiences - certainly I personally appreciate such an approach much more than resorting to explicit sex or grotesque sadomasochism and violence in so many modern, especially German productions, claiming to adapt baroque music to contemporary public taste. I think Henze with his purely musical approach contributes much more to that noble, albeit hardly attainable, goal.

Another very strong point of this 1985 production is the singers. Thomas Allen is probably the most believable operatic Ulysse I have seen and heard; his voice is perfect for the role, strong, flexible and clear, and he looks beautiful, qualifying for a hero and Minerva's attraction for him. One would not doubt that such a handsome shipwreck pleased Circe to her heart's delight, at least with his looks, and perhaps with his Orfeo-like singing; so much that she did not rush to turn him into a swine for some time.

Dosso Dossi (The sorceress Circe) Art Poster- 13x19 custom fit with RichAndFramous Black 99 inch Poster Hangers

Penelope (Kathleen Kuhlmann) is excellent - not only her singing is great, but her whole image is somewhat of a fury, quite murderous; her part is very enigmatic, as one is wondering after the slaughter of suitors and the Ulysse's emergence whether she is really happy to find him again in her life, and subjecting her freedom of twenty years to the rule of this man; at times, she reminds of Clytemnestra who just did not have a chance to get rid of a husband that brought upon her so much suffering. Why does she resist so fiercely to recognize him? She was probably quite happy secretly with enjoying her own freedom all these years, as a ruling Queen and an independent woman, courted by many potential lovers; now suddenly she must subdue her pride and start obeying to someone who abandoned her and had since become a complete stranger. James Joyce had an insight there for sure. The acting of this Penelope is very good, not weak or sweet at all. I liked that.

The suitors were rather on an average scale, with a tenor/Pisandro being particularly substandard. Harnoncourt 1975 version suitors easily beat these ones. As for overall voices, Rene Jacobs recording is the best - every role there is sung with the highest quality. But alas, there is no DVD.

Certainly this Henze interpretation has cuts, yet I found it interesting to see and listen to, and I recommend it as an exciting alternative to a more traditional sound. If nothing else, see it for the Ulysse and Penelope only, and you will not be disappointed.

Strongly recommended.

This is one of the best operas on DVD! Buy it, enjoy it!
Outstanding performance of the hole cast.
Daphne Evangelatos and Thomas Allan are really fabulous.
The orchestration by Hans Werner Henze is full of emotions, fits perfect and is an great bonus to the beautiful Monteverdi basis.
If you like the pure Monteverdi, you will love this Monteverdi-Henze mixture.
The staging is really poetic and beautiful made.

Exquisite in all ways.
Operatic beauty beyond all words.
Experience it for yourself.
Your life will be much better for it.

This title is one I purchased because I thought that any version of a Monteverdi opera would be worth having. I was mistaken and I think that the scoring and playing is probably the main flaw though the vocal performances are also flawed. You may not be a renaissance buff, but I think that almost anyone will agree that the apparently continuous use of winds, especially brass, and percussion along with wide vibrato and sloppy singing in the voices does not do Monteverdi justice. The story is, of course, the return of Ulysses to his home on Ithaca as told in the Odyssey. I found little to recommend this production except as the only available video of this opera.

This is a strange rendition of Monteverdi's masterwork. The problem is not so much with the singing, I believe - K. Kuhlmann and Thomas Allen are good singers and I also liked Delores Ziegler as Minerva. The problem seems to be the scoring and adaptation.

Monteverdi's music is of transcendental beauty. "Il Ritorno" may have been inspired by the gods themselves who were often portrayed in M's three remaining operas. But Monteverdi's extraordinarily beautiful music does not need huge orchestras - voices and continuo will often do. Save the hundred trombones and screeching singers for loud 19th century music, which brought with it the triumph of noise and of preposterous pop operas.

But all is not lost. I believe a far more satisfactory version of "Il Ritorno" is still available - one featuring absolutely beautiful performances by Janet Baker and Benjamin Luxon. It's a Glyndebourne version conducted by Raymond Leppard. Alas, Monteverdi's gods, however, indeed seem to have deserted this imperfect world. Leppard's version contains two major flaws, in my view: there are no subtitles and somebody had the unfortunate idea of portraying Human Fragility as a ... nude singer. This is ridiculous and inappropriate, and degrading for a singer, not to mention distracting! What some directors won't do to attract the public's attention...

If you don't feel like purchasing a "Wagnerian-style" "Il Ritorno" and don't fancy nudity in opera, wait for a DVD release of Harnoncourt's version - the very best of them all!. It is bound to be eventually released (at least I hope so).