The second of Monteverdi’s operas to be presented in a directed concert performance by the English Baroque Soloists and the Monteverdi Choir was Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria, the tale of Ulysses’ homecoming to a palace and wife beset with suitors assuming him dead.

It opened with L’Humana fragilità (Carlo Vistoli) submitting to the gods Time, Fortune and Cupid, although there appeared to be little frailty about the resolve of Penelope. Lucile Richardot was superb as Penelope, her voice contrasting between the lower, harsher notes of her grief and distress at importuning suitors, and the higher, lighter notes of her love for the absent Ulisse. As the maid Melanto, Anna Dennis was both mischievous and flirtatious with Zachary Wilder’s Eurimaco, and a devil’s advocate to Penelope, urging her to give up on Ulisse. 

There was a glorious chorus from the sailors who had landed Ulisse on Ithaka, before they were turned to stone by Nettuno – the multi-tasking Gianluca Buratto, whose bass voice is rich as Christmas cake and port. Ulisse (Furio Vanasi) was given instructions and disguise by Minerva – a tan leather coat implausibly made him an old beggar – and the nymphs’ madrigal was delightful.

Iro, the gluttonous servant of the suitors, was amusingly sung by Robert Burt, who taunted the shepherd Eumete with sheep impersonations; later his challenge to fight Ulisse confirmed him as a braggart. Francisco Fernández-Rueda was excellent as Eumete, exasperated by Penelope’s refusal to believe the news of Ulisse’s return, even when confirmed by her son Telemaco (Krystian Adam). Meanwhile, in a nod to Penelope’s weaving to keep the suitors at bay, the recorder players were crotcheting  blanket squares.

Buratto re-appeared as a suitor, as were Michał Czerniawski and Gareth Treseder. Penelope was on the point of giving in to their pressure when she received guidance from Minerva (Hana Blažikova in old gold velvet) to set them the challenge of stringing Ulisse’s bow. This was done in mime using Penelope herself as the ‘bow’; when the suitors had failed, Ulisse’s attempt enfolded Penelope in his arms, and yet she refused to believe.

When finally she recognised him, her excitement increasing, culminating in her song of rejoicing and the final duet with Ulisse, it was a genuine resolution to the drama.

The integration of the instrumentalists with the action – Iro also was seen to be interfering with the harpist – both entertained and added to the ensemble effect of a very satisfying performance.