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"Attila, re degli uni" is an opera in a prologue and three acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Temistocle Solera, based on the 1809 play by Zacharias Werner.
Initially, Verdi enlists Francesco Maria Piave to prepare the libretto, after Verdi's own scenario.
After finding Piave's work unsatisfactory, Verdi then turns to Solera, but finally returned to Piave for act 3.
The opera received its first performance at La Fenice, Venice, on 17 March 1846.
Ezio's act 2 aria of heroic resolution E' gettata la mia sorte (My lot is cast, I am prepared for any warfare) is a fine example of a characteristic Verdian genre, and it achieved fame in its own time with audiences in the context of the adoption of a liberal constitution by Ferdinand II.
Other contemporary comment praised the work as suitable for the "political education of the people", while, in contrast, others criticised the opera as "Teutonic" in nature.
After its world premiere in 1846 at La Fenice in Venice, the opera was first produced in London at Her Majesty's Theatre in 1848, with Sophie Cruvelli, Italo Gardoni, Velletti, Cruzzoni.
It was presented in New York City in 1850.
In the 20th century, it was revived in concert performance during Venice Festival of 1951 with Mancini, Penno, Giangiacomo, Guelfi, and Italo Tajo, under the conductor Carlo Maria Giulini; and at Sadler's Wells in London in 1963 (with an English libretto), with Rae Woodland, Donald Smith, Mossfield, and Donald McIntyre, with Muir Mathieson conducting.
There was a Rome revival a year later, then productions in Trieste in (1965), in Buenos Aires in (1966), in Berlin in (1971), and in 1972 Attila was performed at the Edinburgh Festival and in Florence.
On 21 December 1980, the Vienna State Opera presented a new production conducted by Giuseppe Sinopoli, and staged by Giulio Chazalettes. The cast included Nicolai Ghiaurov as Attila, Piero Cappuccilli as Ezio, Mara Zampieri as Odabella, and Piero Visconti as Foresto. From 1981 onwards the role of Atilla was taken up by the American bass, Samuel Ramey, who made his first appearances at the New York City Opera in March 1981 in the opera which had not been seen in the city for one hundred and fifty years.[3] Throughout that decade Ramey "unquestionably rack[ed] up more performances in the role than any bass since its creator"[3] in houses such as La Fenice and San Francisco, finally making an audio recording in 1989 and a video recording in 1991, both under Riccardo Muti.The Royal Opera House premiered it on 13 October 1990, with Ruggero Raimondi in the title role, Josephine Barstow as Odabella, Giorgio Zancanaro as Ezio, Dennis O'Neill as Foresto, with Edward Downes conducting.
San Francisco Opera presented the opera on 21 November 1991, with Samuel Ramey in the title role, Elizabeth Connell as Odabella, Vladimir Chernov and Luis Giron May as Ezio, Antonio Ordonez as Foresto, with Gabriele Ferro conducting in a production by Lotfi Mansouri.
In 1997 and again in 2007, it was included as part of the Sarasota Opera's "Verdi Cycle" of all of the composer's operas to be performed before 2016. Ramey again appeared in the title role in a production staged by La Scala in 1986 and filmed for DVD release. In February 2000 a concert performance was given by the Opera Orchestra of New York, again featuring Ramey as Attila.
Attila received a concert performance on 8 September 2007 at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, with Ildar Abdrazakov, Hasmik Papian, Paolo Gavanelli, and Massimiliano Pisapia. Jaap van Zweden conducted; a recording and broadcast followed.
The Metropolitan Opera mounted its first production directed by Pierre Audi on 23 February 2010 conducted by Riccardo Muti, who was making his house debut. Ildar Abdrazakov sang the title role, with Violeta Urmana as Odabella, Ramón Vargas as Foresto, Giovanni Meoni as Ezio, and Samuel Ramey as Leone. Miuccia Prada and the architects Herzog & de Meuron collaborated on costumes and sets. It was presented in September 2011 as part of the Washington Concert Opera's 2011/12 season and was staged by San Francisco Opera in June 2012 in a co-production with La Scala; Ferruccio Furlanetto sang the title role in San Francisco, while Orlin Anastassov sang the role in Milan when the production was first presented in 2011.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere cast, 17 March 1846[7] (Conductor: – ) |
|---|---|---|
| Attila, King of the Huns | bass | Ignazio Marini |
| Uldino, a Breton slave of Attila's | tenor | Ettore Profili |
| Odabella, daughter of the Lord of Aquileia | soprano | Sophie Löwe |
| Ezio, a Roman General | baritone | Natale Costantini |
| Foresto, a Knight of Aquileia | tenor | Carlo Guasco |
| Leone (Pope Leo I)[8] | bass | Giuseppe Romanelli |
| Captains, Kings and Soldiers of the Huns, Priestesses, Aquileians, Roman Soldiers and populace of Rome | ||
[edit] Synopsis
- Time: Mid-5th century
- Place: Aquileia, the Adriatic lagoons, and near Rome[9]
Prologue
Scene 1: The ruined city of AquileiaAttila and his victorious horde are surprised to see a group of women spared as prisoners of war. Their leader, Odabella, asks why the Huns' women remain at home (Allor che i forti corrono / "While your warriors rush to their swords like lions"). Attila, impressed by her courage, offers a boon and she asks for her sword, with which she intends to avenge the death of her father at Attila's own hand (Da te questo or m'è concesso / "O sublime, divine justice by thee is this now granted"). The Roman envoy Ezio asks for an audience and proposes a division of the empire: Avrai tu l'universo, Resti l'Italia a me / "You may have the universe, but let Italy remain mine". Attila disdainfully calls him a traitor to his country.
Scene 2: A swamp, the future site of Venice
A boat bearing Foresto and other survivors arrives; he thinks of the captive Odabella (Ella in poter del barbaro / "She is in the barbarian's power!") but then rouses himself and the others to begin building a new city (Cara patria già madre e reina / "Dear homeland, at once mother and queen of powerful, generous sons").
[edit] Act 1
Scene 1: A wood near Attila's campOdabela laments her father and Foresto (Oh! Nel fuggente nuvolo / "O father, is your image not imprinted on the fleeting clouds?...") believing the latter to be dead. When he appears, she is put on the defensive, denying any infidelity and reminding him of the biblical Judith. The couple is reunited: Oh, t'inebria nell'amplesso / "O vast joy without measure")
Scene 2: Attila's tent
Attila awakes and tells Uldino of a dream in which an old man stopped him at the gates of Rome and warned him to turn back (Mentre gonfiarsi l'anima parea / "As my soul seemed to swell"). In the daylight, his courage returns and he orders a march (Oltre quel limite, t'attendo, o spettro / "Beyond that boundary I await you, O ghost!"). However, when a procession of maidens clad in white approaches, singing Veni Creator Spiritus, he recognizes the Roman bishop Leo as the old man of his dream and collapses in terror.
[edit] Act 2
Ezio's campEzio has been recalled after a peace has been concluded. He contrasts Rome's past glory with the current child emperor Valentine (Dagl'immortali vertici / "From the splendid immortal peaks of former glory"). Recognizing the incognito Foresto among the bearers of an invitation to a banquet with Attila, he agrees to join forces (E' gettata la mia sorte / "My lot is cast, I am prepared for any warfare" ). At the banquet, Foresto's plot to have Uldino poison Attila is foiled by Odabella, jealous of her own revenge. A grateful (and unsuspecting) Attila declares she shall be his wife, and places the unmasked Foresto in her custody.
[edit] Act 3
The forestUldino informs Foresto about the plans for the wedding of Odabella and Attila; Foresto laments Odabella's apparent betrayal (Che non avrebbe il misero / "What would that wretched man not have offered for Odabella"). Ezio arrives with a plan to ambush the Huns; when Odabella comes Foresto accuses her of treachery, but she pleads for his trust. Attila finds the three together and realizes he has been betrayed. As Roman soldiers approach, Odabella stabs him with the sword he had given her. The three conspirators cry that the people have been avenged.
Recordings
| Year | Cast (Attila, Foresto, Odabella, Ezio) | Conductor, Opera House and Orchestra | Label[10] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | Italo Tajo, Gino Penno, Caterina Mancini, Giangiacomo Guelfi | Carlo Maria Giulini, Coro e Orchestra della RAI Milano (radio broadcast) | CD: Great Opera Performances Cat: G.O.P.66306 |
| 1962 | Boris Christoff, Gastone Limarilli, Margherita Roberti, Giangiacomo Guelfi | Bruno Bartoletti, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Orchestra and Chorus (Live recording of 1 December performance at the Teatro Communale) | CD: Opera D'Oro, Cat: OPD 1267 |
| 1972 | Ruggero Raimondi, Carlo Bergonzi, Cristina Deutekom, Sherrill Milnes | Lamberto Gardelli, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Ambrosian Singers and Finchley Children's Music Group | CD: Philips Cat: 412-875-2 |
| 1980 | Nicolai Ghiaurov, Piero Visconti, Mara Zampieri, Piero Cappuccilli | Giuseppe Sinopoli, Vienna State Opera Orchestra and Chorus (Live recording of 28 December performance) | CD: Orfeo Cat: C 601 032 I |
| 1986 | Yevgeny Nesterenko, János B. Nagy, Sylvia Sass, Lajos Miller | Lamberto Gardelli, Hungarian State Orchestra Hungarian Radio and Television Chorus | CD: Hungaroton Cat: HCD 12934-12935 |
| 1989 | Samuel Ramey, Neil Shicoff, Cheryl Studer, Giorgio Zancanaro | Riccardo Muti, Teatro alla Scala Orchestra and Chorus | CD: EMI Cat: CDS 7 49952-2 |
| 1991 | Samuel Ramey, Kaludi Kaludov, Cheryl Studer, Giorgio Zancanaro | Riccardo Muti, Teatro alla Scala Orchestra and Chorus | DVD: Image Entertainment Cat: 4360PUDVD |
| 2001 | Ferruccio Furlanetto, Carlo Ventre, Dimitra Theodossiou, Alberto Gazale | Donato Renzetti, Teatro Lirico Giuseppe Verdi, Trieste Orchestra and Chorus | CD: Dynamic Cat: CDS 372/1-2 |
References
- ^ Fregosi, William (2002). "Attila. Giuseppe Verdi". The Opera Quarterly 6 (2): 117–119. http://oq.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/18/1/117. Retrieved 2007-11-02.
- ^ a b Stamatov, Peter, "Interpretive Activism and the Political Uses of Verdi's Operas in the 1840s" (June 2002). American Sociological Review, 67 (3): pp. 345–366.
- ^ a b Dillon, Patrick, "Conquering Atilla", Opera News, February 2010, p. 31
- ^ The ROH Database
- ^ San Francisco Opera archive
- ^ Operabase list of recent performances of Attila.
- ^ List of singers taken from Budden, p. 244.
- ^ Described in the score as Saint Leo.
- ^ Budden, p. 244.
- ^ Recordings on operadis-opera-discography.org.uk
- Budden, Julian, The Operas of Verdi, Volume 1: From Oberto to Rigoletto. London: Cassell, 1984. ISBN 0-304-31058-1
- Greenwald, Helen (Ed.), Attila, the critical edition. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2011 ISBN 978-0-226-85332-1
- Holden, Amanda (Ed.), The New Penguin Opera Guide, New York: Penguin Putnam, 2001. ISBN 0-14-029312-4
- Kobbé, Gustav (1976). The Complete Opera Book. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons. pp. 531–534.
- Attila: Free scores at the International Music Score Library Project
- Libretto
- Aria database
- Attila – 1951 – Carlo Maria Giulini – Creative Commons Edition
- Attila (complete) on YouTube
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