“Ulisse” Opera Directors: How Odysseus Breaks

This opera is about alienation: Josie Weller and Sergio Morabito for their production of Monteverdi’s Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria at the Vienna State Opera. Premiere April 2.

Monteverdi’s trilogy at the Staatsoper is completed as Odysseus returns home: “L’incoronazione di Poppea” and “L’Orfeo” follow the premiere of his opera “Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria” on April 2nd. While the State Opera Department had placed all three pieces in the hands of conductor Pablo Heras-Casado for musical strictness, they wanted different approaches to direction. Jan Lawers introduced “Poppea” to Tom Morris’ “L’Orfeo”. Now they count on Josie Wheeler and Sergio Morabito. This duo has already performed “The Betrayed Sea” by Hans Werner Henze at the State Opera, and is known for its meticulous work, closely related to the text.

What did she want with “Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria”? “Discovering the pain points that Homer didn’t tell us about – and examining the ancient myth for its contradictions. We want to take a fresh look at the old story,” says Morabito. Wheeler adds, “Unlike Homer’s heroic epic, Monteverdi’s operas focus on human fragility.”