Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria, Barbican Centre

When it comes to Monteverdi, the Academy of Ancient Music – Christopher Hogwood’s ensemble for period performance – is unrivalled. Elizabeth Watts, soprano, is one of the world’s finest interpreters of Bach and Schubert. And earlier this year, Ian Bostridge’s Winterreise stunned the Barbican so much that an orchestrated, dramatized version of the cycle is planned for 2016. Bring these free elements together, and you’re all but certain to have one of the highlights of the Barbican’s 2015/16 season.

Bostridge and Watts will take the lead roles in Monteverdi’s epic Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria (1639-40), here performed in concert form. As its name signals, it tells the tale of Odysseus’ return to Ithaca, where he reunites with his beloved queen Penelope after disposing of her odious suitors. With a veritable cornucopia of early baroque musical styles, it is renowned for the eloquence of its language and the rich platform it offers to talented interpreters. Richard Egarr, harpsichord maestro and the Academy’s chief director, conducts.