Rating: 
Summary: Brilliant
Review: Exquisite in all ways.
Operatic beauty beyond all words.
Experience it for yourself.
Your life will be much better for it.
Rating:
Summary: Magnificat!
Review: 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!
Rating:
Summary: SPECTACULAR ! Authentic, yet updated.
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: SPECTACULAR ! Authentic, yet updated.
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly good
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly good
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: This is supposed to be Monteverdi, not Wagner
Review: 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).
Rating:
Summary: Monteverdi & Henze - A Great Match!
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Monteverdi & Henze - A Great Match!
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Magnificat!
Review: 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.
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