Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria

(The return of Ulysses to his homeland) 

by Elena Kats-Chernin

Dramma per musica
(1640/2012) after Claudio Monteverdi
Libretto by Giacomo Badoaro

Based on stories from Homer’s Odyssey, Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria tells the story of Penelope’s 20-year wait for the return of her husband, Ulysses after the Trojan wars.

This modern adaptation of the 1640 Monteverdi opera by Uzbekistan-born Australian composer, Elena Kats-Chernin, was premiered at the Komische Oper Berlin in 2012, and explores the tenacity of a wife’s refusal to accept that her husband may not return as the rest of the world has moved on.

Conducted by Simon Bruckard, directed by award-winning director and filmmaker Constantine Costi, and designed by Isabel Hudson—whose previous work included 2024’s Puccini Double Bill—this promises to be one of the operatic events of the year.

Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria is part of the 4MBS Festival of Classics, 2025.