Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901):
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| Attila | SAMUEL RAMEY |
| Odabella | CHERYL STUDER |
| Foresto | NEIL SHICOFF |
| Ezio | GIORGIO ZANCANARO |
| Uldino | ERNESTO GAVAZZI |
| Leone | GIORGIO ZURIAN |
Introduction
From the zenith of Riccardo Muti’s time at La Scala, this Attila does full justice to the young Verdi’s dynamism and daring. Samuel Ramey, magnificent as the conquering Hun, is pitted against the patrician Giorgio Zancanaro and the formidably spirited Cheryl Studer.
Synopsis
Attila, based on a German play by Friedrich Werner, is set in the 5th century, with the Roman Empire threatened by the hordes of Attila the Hun. First performed in 1846, when Italy was under Austrian domination, it galvanised the Venetian audience as the cunning Roman general Ezio bargained with Attila: “Avrai tu l’universo, resti l’Italia a me” (“You can have the universe; but let Italy remain mine”). Attila is portrayed not simply as a barbarian, but as a man with a sense of honour and generosity. His aria ‘Mentre gonfiarsi l'anima parea’ describes a disquieting dream in which an imposing old man (who later appears briefly as the Roman bishop Leo) prevents him from entering Rome. Ezio sings of saving his beloved imperial city in the aria ‘Dagli immortali vertici’, but perhaps the most formidable of the protagonists is Odabella, daughter of the Lord of Aquileia. She has two constrasting arias, one expressing patriotic defiance, the other mourning her father, killed by Attila. With revenge in her heart, she succeeds in gaining Attila’s respect and trust, and he even decides to marry her. In the final scene, as Ezio’s forces ambush the Huns, she stabs Attila.
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Compact Disc 1 76.01 1 Prelude (Orchestra) 3.18 Prologue ACT ONE |
Compact Disc 2 39.50 ACT TWO ACT THREE |
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