Opera Omnia Performs THE RETURN OF ULYSSES at Baryshnikov Arts Center, Now thru 9/12

The Baryshnikov Arts Center (BAC) is pleased to present Opera Omnia performing Claudio Monteverdi's The Return of Ulysses, fully staged, in English translation, tonight, September 10 and the 11th and 12th, Tuesday through Thursday at 7:30PM at the Baryshnikov Arts Center's Howard Gilman Performance Space.

Opera Omnia, founded by artistic directors Wesley Chinn, Avi Stein, and Crystal Manich, first emerged on the early music scene in 2008, setting out to perform English translations of 17th-century masterworks with modern theatrical staging. Following a creative residency at BAC in August of that year, the company made its debut with Monteverdi's The Coronation of Poppea at (Le) Poisson Rouge (LPR). The production was praised for "bringing [the audience] far closer to the irreverent environment of the Venetian opera house of the 1640s than would be possible in any tradition-encrusted opera house," (Classics Today) and The New York Times called Opera Omnia "a serious entry into the ranks of small-bore companies in New York." In August/September 2011 the company presented its second production, Francesco Cavalli's Giasone, also at LPR. Similar accolades for "lively staging" and "beautiful instrumental music, performed impeccably by a small period ensemble" (The New York Times) further solidified Opera Omnia as "one of Manhattan's finest mini-companies" (New York Post).

For its third production, Opera Omnia returns to BAC-this time to be presented as part of the Center's fall 2013 performance season. The Return of Ulysses, perhaps the least-performed of Monteverdi's operatic masterworks, draws from Homer's Odyssey, bringing to life the story of Ulysses's return to Ithaca from the Trojan War and reunion with his wife Penelope, who has kept suitors at bay and remained faithful during the king's 20-year absence. Opera Omnia's production streamlines the original, combining or eliminating several characters and side plots to concentrate on the central love story.

As in most operas of Monteverdi's time, the musical style of The Return of Ulysses is centered around the text. In the original productions, accompanied mostly by lutes, harpsichords, and chamber organs -- and performing in their own (and the audience's native tongue) -- the singers could be easily understood. Performing the work in English, Opera Omnia recreates this phenomenon with a cast of acclaimed singers including baritone Jesse Blumberg, "a richly nuanced voice," (Opera Today) and mezzo-soprano Hai-Ting Chinn, "the company's firepower," (The New York Times) in the leading roles, and a period-instrument ensemble led by music director Avi Stein. Designed for the modern architecture and intimate setting of BAC's Howard Gilman Performance Space, Opera Omnia's take on Monteverdi's masterpiece brings a vibrant, contemporary aesthetic to this 17th-century classic.

All tickets are $20. To purchase, call 866-811-4111 or visit WWW.BACNYC.ORG.

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