Monteverdi's first opera written for Venice in 1640, Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria is a dramma per musica composed of a prologue and three acts, with a libretto written by Giacomo Badoaro inspired from Homer. The first act focuses on Penelope waiting for Ulisse's return, while being courted by the men of Ithaca. In the second and third acts, Ulisse takes back his wife and his throne, which is the occasion for a great demonstration of musical liberty in melody and rhythm.

Stage director Pierre Audi mainly worked with the singers to bring them "at the heart of the auditorium with the instrumentalists and to try to interest them in a very personal way to sing and act with the whole body; and form together a unified ensemble. So that the audience would get the same feeling that you have when you watch a great Shakespeare tragedy."