Monteverdi's opera heroes: The vocal writing for Orpheus and Ulysses

The operas of Monteverdi and his contemporaries helped shape music history. Of his three surviving operas, two of them have heroes assigned to the tenor voice in the title roles: L’Orfeo and Il Ritorno d’Ulisse in Patria. The performance practice of the last century, however, has seen both tenors and baritones singing those roles. It is important for singers wishing to explore this repertoire to know what vocal qualities are required to sing the roles, and whether the roles are appropriate for their voices. To provide explanations for the inconsistent casting choices and offer singers the basic information needed to prepare these two roles, I will explore the historical elements of the origins of both operas, study the vocal writing for the roles of Orpheus and Ulysses, and discuss the characteristics and requirements of the singers who have performed the roles in the seventeenth, twentieth, and twenty-first centuries. By examining the aesthetics of Monteverdi’s time and what the composer was likely expecting from his singers, I have concluded that both roles should be sung by singers who are able to deliver the text clearly throughout the entire range while maintaining the dramatic delivery of the words. These singers must also have the facility to sing fast passages and ornaments. A light baritone or a lyric tenor with a good low register would be more suited for Orpheus, and a light or lyric tenor would fit Ulysses more appropriately.