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|Startsida | Sångare | Andra artister och kreatörer | Libretton | Operahus | Jag och min operavärld | Sökord |
Music:Claudio Monteverdi Lyrics:Giacomo Badoaro.
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First performance: Teatro di San Cassiano år 1640 i Venedig.
| Role | Voicetype |
|---|---|
| The human fragility | soprano |
| Time | bass |
| Destiny | soprano |
| Eros | soprano |
| Zeus | tenor |
| Poseidon | alto |
| Athena | soprano |
| Hera | soprano |
| Odysseus | tenor |
| Penelope,his wife | soprano |
| Telemaco,his son | tenor |
| Three suitors | bass,tenor och alto |
| Melanto,Penelopes servant | sopran |
| Eurimaco,Melantos lover | tenor |
In an allegorical meeting between Human Frailty, Time, Fortune and Love it becomes clear that man is merely a plaything in the hands of more powerful forces.
Penelope is longing for the return of her husband Ulisse (Ulysses), who went off to fight in the Trojan war twenty years ago and has been missing since the fall of Troy. Suitors for Penelope´s hand have since moved into the royal palace of Ithaca, are living there at Penelope´s expense and urging her to choose another husband from among their number. Eurimaco is artfully scheming on behalf of the suitor´s; he embarks on an affair with Melanto, Penelope´s maid.Urged by Eurimaco, Melanto agrees to try to persuade Penelope to forget about her sorrow and her longing for her husband and fall in love again.
A Phaeacian ship brings Ulisse to Ithaca and the Phaeacians lay he sleeping Ulisse on the shore.Nettuno (Neptune), the good of the sea,who damned Ulisse to an endless odyssey as a punishment for blinding his son, Polyphemus, the Cyclops, complains to Giove (Jove) because Ulisse has been allowed to find his way back home after all. Nettuno destroys the Phaeacians with Giove´s permission. Ulisse awakes and courses the Phaeacians for seemingly having deposited him in an unknown land.
The goddess Minerva assures him that he is on Ithaca.She tells him about the suitor´s who has moved into his palace and are pestering Penelope with their attentions. She commands him to return home and rout the suitors and take possession of his palace again with her help.She disguises him as an old man for his own safety.Iro a scrounge who is wont to still his hunger at the suitors´table, mocks Eumete, Ulisse´s old herdsman, who is very afraid that his master will never return and throw the suitors out of the palace. Ulisse, whom Eumate fails to recognise because of his disguise, prophesies that Ulisse will not fail his country, and Eumete offers the old man shelter.
Telemaco, the son of Penelope and Ulisse, has been to Sparta to see if he could find out what has become of his father. Minerva keeps him safe on his voyage back to Ithaca. Eumete introduces him to the old man, who tells Telemaco as well that he is convinced that Ulisse will soon return ti Ithaca. Telemaco bids Eumete go to Penelope and inform her that her son has come home. When he is alone with his his son,Ulisse reveals himself and is able to convince Telemaco that he really is his father.
Melanto and Eurimaco are in despair because Penelope is proving so steadfast.They have no intention, however, of allowing the queen´s sorrow to prevent them from continuing to enjoy live and their love for each other. The suitors Antinoo,Pisandro and Anfinomo flatter Penelope and beg her to return their love, but Penelope will have none of them.Eumete informs her secretly of Telemaco´ return and the rumour that Ulisse may be among them before long. The suitors eavesdrop on this conversation. They fear that Ulisse and Telemaco will want revenge and decide that the only thing to do is to murder Telemaco. They are prevented from carrying out their plan,however, by a sign from heaven.
Ulisse, again disguised as an old man, has been ordered by Minerva to engage in a competition with the suitors and kill them with his bow. Telemaco tells his mother about his voyage to Sparta and how Helen had prophesied that Ullisse was no longer very far away and would rid her of her suitors. The suitors are angry with Eumete as they find the presence of the strange old man he has brought with him disturbing. Iro, the glutton, challenges Ulisse to a duel and is soundly beaten;the suitors now also leave the old man in peace.
They shower Penelope with costly gifts. Prompted by Minerva,Penelope sends for Ulisse´s bow and arrows and promises her hand in marriage to whoever can draw the bow. Each suitor in turn fails; under Minerva´s protection, Ulisse takes the bow and shoots the suitors.Iro mourns the death of the suitors,all his patrons are dead,he will never be able to scrounge from them again. He has an empty belly and. Afraid that he will now starve to death, he resolves to commit suicide immediately. Melanto beseeches Penelope to punish the murderer of the suitors most severely.
Eumete has discovered the true identity of the old man. Penelope, however, refuses to believe both him and Telemaco when they tell her that the stranger who killed the suitors was in fact Ulisse. Minerva, Giunono (Hera) and Giove implore Nettuno to forgive Ulisse so that his wanderings can finally come to an end and Nettuno allows himself to be placated. Giove instructs Minerva to persuade the families of the murdered suitors from seeking revenge for their deaths by declaring war against Ithaca. Ericlea, Ulisse´s old nurse, has discovered a scar on the stranger´s leg which enables her to recognize him as Ulisse. He has made her promise not to reveal this yet and she is now torn between her senses of duty toward her master and her desire to reveal the truth to Penelope.
Ulisse appears before Penelope in his proper form, but Penelope afraid that she might be the victim of a deception, does not dare to recognize her husband. Ericlea can now no longer remain silent and mentions that she has recognized the scar, but this stills fails to convince Penelope. Only when Ulisse describes their marital bed in such detail as only he can know does Penelope finally believe him.
