For the central roles of Penelope and Ulisse he has snared mezzo Anna Bonitatibus and tenor Paul Nilon – both singing at the absolute top of their form –
Chance’s bold opening gambit is a production of Monteverdi’s late masterpiece Il ritorno d’Ulisse, in which he plays the offstage part of music director, and the musical result is by and large first-rate. For the central roles of Penelope and Ulisse he has snared mezzo Anna Bonitatibus and tenor Paul Nilon – both singing at the absolute top of their form – and since the work depends on continuo rather than orchestral playing, Chance has brought in musicians from the Academy of Ancient Music and the Division Lobby led by the charismatic Paula Chateauneuf on the chitarrone and Baroque guitar.