''Ulisse'' is an opera in a

prologue A prologue or prolog (from Greek πρόλογος ''prólogos'', from πρό ''pró'', "before" and λόγος ''lógos'', "word") is an opening to a story that establishes the context and gives background details, often some earlier story that ...

and two acts composed by

Luigi Dallapiccola Luigi Dallapiccola (February 3, 1904 – February 19, 1975) was an Italian composer known for his lyrical twelve-tone compositions. Biography Dallapiccola was born in Pisino d'Istria (at the time part of Austria-Hungary, current Pazin, Cr ...

to his own libretto based on the legend of Ulysses. It premiered at the

Deutsche Oper Berlin The Deutsche Oper Berlin is a German opera company located in the Charlottenburg district of Berlin. The resident building is the country's second largest opera house (after Munich's) and also home to the Berlin State Ballet. Since 2004, the D ...

(in German translation by Karl-Heinrich Kreith as ''Odysseus'') on 29 September 1968 conducted by

Lorin Maazel Lorin Varencove Maazel (, March 6, 1930 – July 13, 2014) was an American conductor, violinist and composer. He began conducting at the age of eight and by 1953 had decided to pursue a career in music. He had established a reputation in th ...

with

Erik Saedén Carl Erik Sædén (3 September 1924, in Vänersborg – 3 November 2009), was a Swedish bass-baritone whose career was principally centred on Stockholm, both on the operatic stage as well as the concert platform. He made a few recordings and ap ...

in the title role. ''Ulisse'' was Dallapiccola's last opera and took eight years to compose. As in his previous operas, ''

Volo di notte ''Volo di notte'' (''Night Flight'') is a one-act opera composed by Luigi Dallapiccola to an Italian libretto he wrote based on the novel ''Vol de nuit'' by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. It was first performed at the Teatro della Pergola in Floren ...

'' and ''

Il prigioniero ''Il prigioniero'' (''The Prisoner'') is an opera (originally a radio opera) in a prologue and one act, with music and libretto by Luigi Dallapiccola. The opera was first broadcast by the Italian radio station RAI on 1 December 1949. The work is ba ...

'', his declared theme was "the struggle of man against some force much stronger than he".Warrack and West (1996)

Roles

Ulisse ''Ulisse'' is an opera in a prologue and two acts composed by Luigi Dallapiccola to his own libretto based on the legend of Ulysses. It premiered at the Deutsche Oper Berlin (in German translation by Karl-Heinrich Kreith as ''Odysseus'') on 29 ...

– baritone (

) *

Calypso Calypso refers to: * Calypso (mythology), a nymph who, famously in Homer's ''Odyssey'', kept Odysseus with her on her island of Ogygia for seven years. * Calypso (nymphs), other nymphs called Calypso. Calypso may also refer to: Books * "C ...

– soprano (Annabelle Bernard) *

Nausicaa Nausicaa (; grc, Ναυσικάα, Nausikáa, or , ) also spelled Nausicaä or Nausikaa, is a character in Homer's ''Odyssey''. She is the daughter of King Alcinous and Queen Arete of Phaeacia. Her name means "burner of ships" ( 'ship'; 'to ...

– soprano (

Catherine Gayer Catherine Gayer (born 11 February 1937) is an American coloratura soprano, violinist, musicologist, and academic voice teacher. She made a career in Germany. A member of the Deutsche Oper Berlin for more than four decades, she is known for her p ...

) * Re Alcinoo –

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gu ...

(

Victor von Halem Victor von Halem (26 March 1940 – 28 May 2022) was a German operatic bass. He was a member of the Deutsche Oper Berlin for nearly 30 years as well as a guest singer in the major opera houses and festivals of Europe and North America. He sang a ...

) * Demodoco –

tenor A tenor is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The low extreme for tenors i ...

(Helmuth Melchert) *

Circe Circe (; grc, , ) is an enchantress and a minor goddess in ancient Greek mythology and religion. She is either a daughter of the Titan Helios and the Oceanid nymph Perse or the goddess Hecate and Aeëtes. Circe was renowned for her vast kno ...

– mezzo-soprano (

Jean Madeira Jean Madeira, née Jean Browning (born November 14, 1918, in Centralia, Illinois; died on July 10, 1972, in Providence, Rhode Island) was an American contralto, particularly known for her work in late-romantic German repertoire such as the operas ...

) *La madre di Anticlea ("mother of

Anticlea In Greek mythology, Anticlea or Anticlia (; Ancient Greek: ''Ἀντίκλεια'', literally "without fame") was a queen of Ithaca as the wife of King Laërtes. Family Anticlea was the daughter of Autolycus and Amphithea. The divine tricks ...

") – soprano (

Hildegard Hillebrecht Hildegard Hillebrecht (26 November 1925 – 7 October 2018) was a German operatic soprano. Career Born in Hanover, Hillebrecht studied singing after attending medical school and made her in the role of Leonora in Verdi's ''Il trovatore''. She s ...

) *

Tiresia ''Tiresia'' is a 2003 French film directed by Bertrand Bonello and written by Bonello and Luca Fazzi. Based on the legend of Tiresias, it tells of a transgender woman who is kidnapped by a man and left to die in the woods. She is then saved by a ...

– tenor (Helmuth Melchert) *Pisandro (a

suitor Courtship is the period wherein some couples get to know each other prior to a possible marriage. Courtship traditionally may begin after a betrothal and may conclude with the celebration of marriage. A courtship may be an informal and private m ...

) – baritone (

José van Dam Joseph, Baron Van Damme (born 27 August 1940 in Brussels), known as José van Dam, is a Belgian bass-baritone. At the age of 17, he entered the Brussels Royal Conservatory and studied with Frederic Anspach. A year later, he graduated with dipl ...

) * Antinoo – baritone (Ernst Krukowski) * Eurimaco – tenor (Karl Ernst Mercker) * Melanto – mezzo-soprano (Jean Madeira) * Eumeo – tenor (

Loren Driscoll Loren Driscoll (April 14, 1928 – April 8, 2008) was an American tenor who had an active international career from the 1950s through the mid-1980s. Driscoll was particularly noted for his performances in contemporary operas and sang in many w ...

) *

Telemaco Telemaco may refer to: *Telêmaco Borba, a municipality in the state of Paraná, Brazil * ''Telemaco'' (Scarlatti), a 1718 opera by Alessandro Scarlatti * ''Telemaco'' (Gluck), a 1765 opera by Christoph Willibald Gluck * ''Telemaco'' (Sor), a 17 ...

–

contralto A contralto () is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range is the lowest female voice type. The contralto's vocal range is fairly rare; similar to the mezzo-soprano, and almost identical to that of a countertenor, typical ...

( Barbara Scherler) *

Penelope Penelope ( ; Ancient Greek: Πηνελόπεια, ''Pēnelópeia'', or el, Πηνελόπη, ''Pēnelópē'') is a character in Homer's ''Odyssey.'' She was the queen of Ithaca and was the daughter of Spartan king Icarius and naiad Periboea. ...

– soprano (Annabelle Bernard) *Ancella 1 ("handmaid 1") – soprano (Gitta Mikes) *Ancella 2 ("handmaid 2") – contralto (Helga Wisniewaska)

Notes and references

Sources

*Gelli, Piero (ed.)
"Ulisse"
''Dizionario dell'Opera'', Baldini Castoldi Dalai, 2007, . Accessed online 16 March 2009 *Shirley, Wayne
Luigi Dallapiccola's Sketch for Ulisse
The Moldenhauer Archives,

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The librar ...

Warrack, John John Hamilton Warrack (born 1928, in London) is an English music critic, writer on music, and oboist. Warrack is the son of Scottish conductor and composer Guy Warrack. He was educated at Winchester College (1941-6) and then at the Royal College ...

and West, Ewan, "Dallapiccola, Luigi", ''The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Opera'', 1996.

External links

* * {{Authority control Operas by Luigi Dallapiccola Italian-language operas 1968 operas Operas Operas based on classical mythology Operas based on the Odyssey