In The Return of Ulysses to his Homeland, they retained one name - Penelope. It was her point of view that was explored in the Prologue. While other versions would usually feature the same tenor for the roles of Human Frailty and Ulysses, this version of The Return of Ulysses to his Homeland featured a counter-tenor in the role of Human Frailty. He sung while standing behind the bedpost of a sleeping Penelope. It demonstrated how the lyrics of Humana Fragilita fitted Penelope too as opposed to using it as an allegory to the travails that Ulysses went through.
Time, Fortune and Cupid had been equally cruel. Time because it’s been 20 years and Penelope still hasn’t moved on from losing Ulysses. Fortune because she can’t find a man that could be comparable to Ulysses. And Cupid because she loved Ulysses too much to even move on from a constricting memory of her husband. Sometimes I think Fortune had been cruel to her because she’s not exactly bright. More on that later in this article about The Return of Ulysses to his Homeland.
Ulysses managed to return to Ithaca. But it was through the benevolence of Minerva. (She is the Roman counterpart of Athena in Roman mythology.) Roman gods are displayed in this version of The Return of Ulysses to his Homeland as a bunch of pub regulars occasionally discussing and interfering in human affairs. Minerva is had to interfere because she and her father, Jupiter, thought her uncle, Neptune, went too far in punishing poor Ulysses. It’s still 20 years after all. It may be minuscule compared to Olympian years in The Return of Ulysses to his Homeland. But still a long, long time for Ulysses to suffer.
Minerva even fetched Ulysses’ son, Telemachus, from Sparta to prepare mother and son for their father’s arrival. Telemachus could only meet their household’s former valet outside the palace along with an old beggar before going to see his mother. It may not have dawned enough on Telemachus how much has changed since he and his father left Ithaca. It didn’t mention if he tried to search for his father in Sparta though. But prior to the return of Ulysses to his homeland, even some of their slaves got replaced.
Ithaca had been a lot different since Ulysses left. Luckily, none of Penelope’s suitors managed to pressure her into marrying any of them. It looked like healthy competition. Besides, it wasn’t clear as to whom the loyalties of Melantho, Eurymachus and Irus lay. Eurymachus kept reminding Melantho of her duty to convince her pseudo-employer Penelope of the need to choose her next husband. Irus’ role is, well, to eat meat from the sheep that Ulysses’ former slave shepherded. In essence, Penelope is practically surrounded by “enemies”.
The only time that these suitors had a serious competition was in the party they threw to distract Penelopy from her sadness. Parties and gifts seemed like nice bribes to soften Penelope’s heart. That was until Minerva directly interfered in Penelope’s thoughts and announced who stood a chance at getting Penelope’s heart. Well, at least in this version of The Return of Ulysses to his Homeland, it showed how Minerva put the words into Penelope’s mouth. In most versions, Penelope would say it out of frustration. So when Penelope started blaming the gods for what she declared, it ended up looking like a cop-out. Same cop-out was seen though in this version of The Return of Ulysses to his Homeland.
Penelope knew in her heart this this old beggar might be someone she knew from the start. But her loyalty to Ulysses made her doubt herself. She can’t help but be nice to the old beggar though. Just when she was about to entertain the idea that the old beggar might be Ulysses, she changed her mind. The old beggar passed the test. But since he did not take the prize of marrying Penelope, he went on a carnage. He shot arrows at all of the guests, particularly the 3 suitors that pestered Penelope. Penelope was upset at becoming the gods’ plaything. She even scolded Telemachus for playing along with the gods. She is such an emotional wreck. She has refused to even analyze whether Ulysses is indeed who he claims he is.
It was the first time for me to watch the mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kocena in opera online. Her version of Penelope in The Return of Ulysses to his Homeland was emotional without sounding off. There may be some moments where she let her voice break. But it is easy to dismiss them as acting the part of an inconsolable widow is really moving. The way she treated the role of Penelope meant being cold, being emotional and being happy at the right moments without looking inconsistent in handling her feelings. She acted and sang well even in the parts in The Return of Ulysses to his Homeland where I hated the character Penelope.
The Return of Ulysses to his Homeland was the first time that I saw Rolando Villazon in a Monteverdi opera. I have yet to check whether this is his first baroque opera role. I viewed it as his most subdued role ever. Villazon disappeared into the character completely to the point of hiding his signature curly hair. He is still intense though, mostly at scenes where he is expected to be intense. And since this is baroque opera, it meant hearing him sing in a lower register identified in tenor roles found in said genre.
This is also the first time I watched him play a father role. A father to a grown-up man, Telemachus. I must have gotten so used to seeing him in other belcanto roles that are mostly bachelors. Seeing him be a happy father in The Return of Ulysses to his Homeland was a very welcome scene to behold. Of course, the scene where Ulysses proves himself to Penelope was also moving. Finally, a role where the tenor gets the girl. Alive.
The Return of Ulysses to his Homeland by Claudio Monteverdi may be viewed free on Medici.tv but for a limited time only. Click here to view the version with English subtitles. To access Medici.tv’s wide selection of operas - from verismo to belcanto to baroque - subscribe to their streaming services for only $19.90 per month. Old school opera fans would be delighted to see their old favorites streamed here with English subtitles. Don’t forget to like them on Facebook to keep yourself updated with the latest uploads.
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