Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) – Il Ritorno d’Ulisse in Patria (1640)
The second of Monteverdi’s surviving operas, Il Ritorno d’Ulisse in Patria, was performed on 31.8., 2.9., 3.9. and 5.9.2016 as the second stage of a Monteverdi cycle. The performances in Helsinki Conservatory theatre were a huge success, with 890 audience members over the run. Read some audience feedback here (in Finnish). Il Ritorno also received rave reviews from newspaper and magazine critics. Read the reviews from Helsingin Sanomat (Finnish), Rondo (Finnish) and Hufvudstadsbladet (Swedish).
Director: Ville Saukkonen
Conductor: Edward Ananian-Cooper
Choreographer: Laura Humppila & Physical Opera
Costume design: Hanna Hakkarainen
Projections: Carita Elko
Lighting: Eero Alava
Make-up designer: Annukka Ollila
Producer: Meri Metsomäki
Dance chorus: Physical Opera
Pihla Aarnisalo, Tui Berg, Ada Freund, Sonja Järvisalo, Lari Kotro, Reetta Lappalainen Marjukka Mykkänen, Arttu Peltoniemi, Anna-Leena Ryyppö, Janne Saukkonen, Lumi Timonen ja Iida Tuliainen
Solo dancers: Elina Tienhaara (L’umana fragilità), Bambú Locquet Vandenberghe (Tempo), Elisa Heimo (La Fortuna), Laura Humppila (Amore).
CAST
ULISSE (Odysseus), Juho Punkeri
PENELOPE, Katariina Heikkilä
TELEMACO (Telemakhos), Jarno Lehtola
L’UMANA FRAGILITÀ (Hauras ihmisyys), Marianne Lehtonen *
IL TEMPO (Time), Joonas Tuominen *
LA FORTUNA (Fortune), Heidi Salonen *
AMORE (Love), Hilkka Ylinärä * 31.8., 2.9./ Johanna Lesonen *3.9., 5.9.
MINERVA, Meri Metsomäki
NETTUNO (Neptune), Erik Rousi
GIOVE (Jupiter), Juha-Pekka Mitjonen
GIUNONE (Juno), Satu Strömberg *
ERICLEA (Erykleia), Elisabet Petsalo
EUMETE (Eumaios), Tero Halonen
MELANTO (Melanthos), Milla Mäkinen
EURIMACO (Eurimakhos), Joakim Pietarinen *
ANTINOO (Antinos), Jarkko Salminen
PISANDRO (Pisandros), David Hackston*
ANFINOMO (Anfinomos), Kalle Virtanen
IRO, Mikko Sateila
*Student of Metropolia school of music
Helsinki Monteverdi Orchestra
Sofia Fernholm, traverso
Laura Mäkelä, traverso
Kaisa Ruotsalainen, baroque violin
Anna Pohjola, baroque violin
Eerika Pynnönen, baroque viola
Lotte Nyberg, trumpet & cornett
Jaakko Saarinen, trumpet & cornett
Petri Arvo, dulcian
Feodor Antonov, sackbutt
Tatu Ahola, baroque cello
Vadim Vainshtein, viola da gamba
Malla Lounasheimo, baroque contrabass
Ritva Hautsalo, lirone & viola da gamba
Olli Hyyrynen, baroque guitar & archlute
Mikko Ikäheimo, theorbo & baroque guitar
Eva Palviainen, arpa doppia (double harp)
Kirsi Aittola, positive organ
Lauri Honkavirta, regal
Laura Ollberg-Ekman, harpsichord
Julia Tamminen, harpsichord
Edward Ananian-Cooper, hurdy gurdy
Arrangement, instrumentation & orchestration: Edward Ananian-Cooper
Extra music and orchestrations: Francesco Cavalli (1602-1676), Antonio Bertali (1605-1669), Adriano Banchieri (1568-1634)