Nikolaus Harnoncourt: Il Ritorno d'Ulissse (2004)

Monteverdi's bold operatic retelling of Ulysses' return from the Trojan Wars to his faithful Penelope, who no longer recognises her heroic husband after his long absence, captures the sweeping qualities of the ancient Greek epic on which it was based. This spectacular production by Jean Pierre Ponnelle, with Nikolaus Harnoncourt's authoritative musical direction, was an international sensation.