Il Ritorno d'Ulisse in Patria; L'Orfeo

These two operas not only bracket the career of the "father of opera,” Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643), but also reflect the transition from the Renaissance to the Baroque period, with the emergence of the solo aria in performance art. Both are based on Greek legend, feature glorious sound from period instruments, and benefit from brilliant staging, splendid costumes, and excellent vocal interpretation. L'Orfeo (1607), as performed at the Gran Teatre del Liceu Barcelona, is a visual delight: from the moment conductor Jordi Savall makes his entrance, robed in the manner of Monteverdi, viewers have the thrilling sensation of being cast back into mythological Arcadia, where the sweet-voiced Orfeo pacifies the gods of the underworld to redeem his beloved Euridice, only to later lose her…until Apollo takes them to paradise. Combining various methods of musical expression--recitative, fioriture, and madrigal--mainstream audiences may find the music less accessible, but opera aficionados will find much to admire in this magnificent production, offered here in DTS or stereo sound. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. Aud: C, P. Il Ritorno d'Ulisse in Patria (1641), representing the culmination of the Monteverdian style and the birth of modern opera, portrays the Homeric tale of the meandering return of Ulysses from the Trojan War and his reunion with the steadfast Penelope. Wisely conceived by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle against a simple, dramatically angled set, which allows the actors to command center stage, the production is mesmerizing. Given the scant musical notation (Monteverdi left few manuscripts, to avoid pirating) the opera has been open to diverse interpretations. Nikolaus Harnoncourt, who also conducts, has provided what is considered the standard instrumentation, which is richly interpreted here in Dolby Digital 5.1 or stereo sound by a brilliant, uniformly superb cast, with Vesselina Kasarova as Penelope and Dietrich Henschel as Ulysses. Bravo! Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. Aud: C, P. (J. Reed)