[97] Evidence of such performances during the following decades is provided by several portraits in character, of which one of the earliest was the pastel by Daniel Gardner (1750–1805) of "Miss Elliot as Circe". Lactantius Placidus, Commentarii in Statii Thebaida. [3][n 2], In 1637 fully-fledged opera came to Venice with the opening of the Teatro San Cassiano. [33][34], Giovanni Boccaccio provided a digest of what was known of Circe during the Middle Ages in his De mulieribus claris (Famous Women, 1361–1362). He too changes travelers into beastly forms that 'roll with pleasure in a sensual sty'. [9] The second, Le nozze d' Enea in Lavinia ("The Marriage of Aeneas to Lavinia"), was performed during the 1640–41 carnival; Monteverdi's music is lost, but a copy of the libretto, of unknown authorship, survives. All three suitors attempt the task unsuccessfully. "[n 7] Her grief is echoed by her nurse, Ericlea. For the women are four, and they are engaged on the tasks which Homer mentions in his poetry'. / Farewell the brilliant voyage, ended! [19], Before and after the publication of the score in 1922, scholars questioned the work's authenticity, and its attribution to Monteverdi continued to be in some doubt until the 1950s. The Venetian Gasparo Gozzi was another Italian who returned to Gelli for inspiration in the 14 prose Dialoghi dell'isola di Circe (Dialogues from Circe's Island) published as journalistic pieces between 1760 and 1764. [7] Carter offers a reason for its appeal to the public: "The opera has enough sex, gore and elements of the supernatural to satisfy the most jaded Venetian palate. Several Renaissance epics of the 16th century include lascivious sorceresses based on the Circe figure. In the case of the former, the animals are not always boars but also include, for instance, the ram, dog and lion on the 6th-century BC Boston kylix. Her left arm is raised to cast a spell while the wand points downward in her right. The 19th-century English poet Augusta Webster, much of whose writing explored the female condition, has a dramatic monologue in blank verse titled "Circe" in her volume Portraits (1870). [48][49], According to Denis Arnold, although Monteverdi's late operas retain elements of the earlier Renaissance intermezzo and pastoral forms, they may be fairly considered as the first modern operas. The two sing passionately of their love for each other ("You are my sweet life"). The music became known in modern times through the 19th-century discovery of an incomplete manuscript score which in many respects is inconsistent with the surviving versions of the libretto. Monteverdi was an established court composer in the service of Duke Vincenzo Gonzaga in Mantua when he wrote his first operas, L'Orfeo and L'Arianna, in the years 1606–08. She was often confused with Calypso, due to her shifts in behavior and personality, and the association that both of them had with Odysseus.[6]. "[46], The German composer Hans Werner Henze was responsible for the first two-act version, which was produced at the Salzburg Festival on 11 August 1985, with divided critical reaction. [11], Homer describes Circe as "a dreadful goddess with lovely hair and human speech". After they have all remained on the island for a year, Circe advises Odysseus that he must first visit the Underworld, something a mortal has never yet done,[26] in order to gain knowledge about how to appease the gods, return home safely and recover his kingdom. And justice has an interest which is the interest not of the ruler or judge, but of those who come under his sway. Her note on these explains that their purpose is to 'describe some of the personages of ancient Greece' and that Circe was 'the enchantress who changed men into beasts'. [25] As with Orfeo and Poppea, Monteverdi differentiates musically between humans and gods, with the latter singing music which is usually more profusely melodic—although in Il ritorno, most of the human characters have some opportunity for lyrical expression. With the weapon Circe gave him, Telegonus killed his father unknowingly. Though the men are changed back, Ulysses is charmed by her in his turn. Ulysses is depicted as deeper in sorcery and readier of tongue than Circe and through this means he leaves her pregnant with Telegonus. In keeping with the general character of Venetian opera, the work was written for a small band—around five string players and various continuo instruments. In this moral work, the aim of Ulysses in talking to the beasts is to learn more of the human condition. Penelope's lament, which opens Act I, is reminiscent both of Orfeo's Redentemi il mio ben and the lament from L'Arianna. [47] Two-act productions have since become increasingly common. [18] The Monteverdi scholar Alan Curtis dates the manuscript's arrival in Vienna to 1675, during the reign of the Emperor Leopold I who was a considerable patron of the arts, and opera in particular. "[32], The venue for Il ritorno's première was at one time thought to be the Teatro Cassiano, but scholarly consensus considers it most likely that both the 1639–40 and 1640–41 performances were at the Teatro SS Giovanni e Paolo. She is made to love an ass after, rather than before, he is transformed into his true animal likeness. Another drew silver tables up to the chairs, and laid out golden dishes, while a third mixed sweet honeyed wine in a silver bowl, and served it in golden cups. There was also a tradition of private performances, with a variety of illustrated works to help with stage properties and costumes. [61][62] Arnold draws attention to the great range of characters in the opera—the divine, the noble, the servants, the evil, the foolish, the innocent and the good. [18][19], Picus was a Latian king whom Circe turned into a woodpecker. When Telegonus arrived to Ithaca, Odysseus was away in Thesprotia, fighting the Brygi. This is further underlined by his statement (in a letter) that the black panthers there are 'images of ruined passion' and by his anticipation at the end of the poem of passion's tide-strown shore / Where the disheveled seaweed hates the sea. The first told the story of Odysseus' encounter with Circe. [2] Her brothers were Aeëtes, keeper of the Golden Fleece and father of Medea, and Perses. In the opening recitative, Circe explains that it was her son Telegonus who founded Frascati. She is either a daughter of the god Helios and the Oceanid nymph Perse or the goddess Hecate and Aeetes.Circe was renowned for her vast knowledge of potions and herbs. From there, as Hermes foretold, Circe would ask Odysseus to bed, but Hermes advises caution, for the treacherous goddess could still "unman" him unless he has her swear by the names of the gods that she will not take any further action against him. [132] A recent reference is the harpsichordist Fernando De Luca's Sonata II for viola da gamba titled "Circe's Cave" (L'antro della maga Circe). "Ulysses" is the Latin form of the Greek "Odysseus", hero of the, Monteverdi scholar Tim Carter draws attention to the difficulties in allocating, An indication of Monteverdi's status at the time is revealed by the dedication in a reprinted libretto for, Ringer credits the discovery to the Austrian composer and historian, Translations based on Geoffrey Dunn and Hugh Ward-Perkins, Penelope's aria "Di misera regina", from act 1, scene 1, Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria discography, Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria (Raymond Leppard recording), "Monteverdi: Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria – complete", "Monteverdi, Claudio: Works from the Venetian years", "Concert programmes: Cyril Eland collection", "Opera: The Ulysses of Claudio Monteverdi Voyages to America in High Style", "Central Opera Services Bulletin, Spring 1973", "Music: Into the Heart of Darkness, with Puppets", "Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria: Kings Theatre, Edinburgh", "Claudio Monteverdi: Three decades in Venice", "Monteverdi Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria", "Monteverdi: Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria", International Music Score Library Project, Complete libretto (with Spanish translation), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Il_ritorno_d%27Ulisse_in_patria&oldid=1021983731, Pages containing links to subscription-only content, Articles with International Music Score Library Project links, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz work identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WorldCat-VIAF identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, The role may initially have been played by a boy soprano, possibly Costantino Manelli, The role was initially sung, in Venice and Bologna, by Giulia Paolelli, The role was probably sung, in Venice and Bologna, by the impresario.