Attila
Attila, the King of the Huns, has conquered the strategically and economically significant Italian city of Aquileia during his campaign of conquest. Admiring the bravery of Odabella, a duke's daughter, Attila spares her life and presents her with his sword. But she swears bloody revenge for his conquest of her city. When she prevents an attempt on Attila's life by her former lover Foresto, which he has planned with the Roman general Ezio, she finally wins the Hun's trust. But has she abandoned her murderous plan?
When Giuseppe Verdi encountered the drama about the King of the Huns by the German Romantic poet Zacharias Werner, he saw its potential as opera. Although audiences and the press initially welcomed the premiere in Venice in 1846 with a rather cool reception, Attila eventually began his triumphant march through Italian opera houses. Although the founding myth of Venice, which is the subject of the opera, was somewhat ridiculed by some outside the lagoon city, Ezio's demand, ‘Avrai tu l'universo, resta l'Italia a me (You may have the universe, but leave Italy to me)’, was met with enthusiasm, especially during the Italian struggle for unity. The opera’s real power lies in the drama between Attila, Odabella, Ezio and Feresto - conveyed in Verdi’s fine duets, trios and quartets. In OperaVision’s first stream from Heidenheim Opera Festival, this acclaimed production directed by Matthias Piro is the ninth of Verdi’s early operas staged in the medieval ruins of the Knights' Hall of Hellenstein Castle. Marcus Bosch conducts the appropriately named (and local) Cappella Aquileia; Heidenheim was known as Aquileia in Roman times.
CAST
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Attila
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Robert Pomakov
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Ezio
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Marian Pop
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Odabella
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Leah Gordon
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Foresto
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Adam Sánchez
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Uldino
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Musa Nkuna
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Leone
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Jared Ice
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Orchestra
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Cappella Aquileia
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Chorus
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Tschechischer Philharmonischer Chor Brünn
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Extras
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Ludwig Dörrer
Gerd Munzinger
Andreas Markus Kopp
Volker Strobel
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Music
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Giuseppe Verdi
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Text
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Temistocle Solera
Francesco Maria Piave
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Director
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Matthias Piro
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Conductor
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Marcus Bosch
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Sets and costumes
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Lisa Moro
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Video
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Jonas Dahl
Janic Bebi
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Light design
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Leo Moro
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Dramaturgy
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Gerhard Herfeldt
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| ... | |
VIDEOS
STORY
Prologue
During the bloody conquest of the city of Aquilea, the warriors praise their leader Attila, King of the Huns. But Odabella, a warrior from Aquileia, stands up to the barbarian and vows to avenge her murdered father. Attila admires her courage so much that he spares her life and gives her his sword. Moments later, Ezio, an envoy from Rome, appears. He offers Attila a deal to divide the world: Attila can keep the entire universe, but in return he must cede Italy to him. Attila contemptuously refuses.
A storm drives the refugees from Aquileia to the coast, where they gather in the lagoon that would later become Venice. Foresto mourns the loss of his homeland – but above all Odabella, with whom he was in love. He sets out to find Odabella.
Act I
In Attila’s empire, Odabella mourns the loss of her father and her lover. Suddenly, Foresto enters the scene disguised as one of Attila’s soldiers and accuses her of breaking her vow of fidelity. Odabella manages to calm him down. She lets him in on her plan: like Judith killed Holofernes, she wants to kill Attila. Both are overwhelmed by their desire for revenge.
Attila wakes up from a nightmare. On his way to Rome, he met an old man who tried to stop him from advancing. Despite the bad omen, he decides to continue on to Rome and gathers his army. Then the Pope himself appears to him, surrounded by women and children. As he repeats the words from the nightmare, Attila thinks he sees two figures with flaming swords in the sky. Horrified, he sinks to his knees.
Act II
A truce is in effect. Ezio’s existence seems to be losing more and more meaning, and he is struggling with his return to Rome when Foresto visits him. He reveals his plan to assassinate Attila, and Ezio assures him of his support.
The truce is celebrated with a banquet. Attila ignores the warnings not to sit at the table with the enemy. Then a thunderstorm causes all the lights to go out. Ezio seizes the opportunity to continue negotiations with Attila, while Foresto informs Odabella that the Hun’s drink has been poisoned by Uldino, Attila’s confidant. She warns Attila of the assassination attempt, since she insists on taking revenge herself with her sword. At the last moment, Attila announces that he wants to kidnap Odabella as his bride as a symbol of gratitude. Turmoil breaks out.
Act III
Alone, Foresto swears revenge. Uldino reports that the wedding procession is approaching, but Foresto increasingly doubts Odabella’s love. He quarrels with Ezio over their joint attempt to lure Attila into a trap. Odabella flees from the bridal bed and reaffirms her loyalty to Foresto when Attila surprises the two mid-conversation. In a final dispute, Odabella raises her sword and finally takes revenge.
GALLERY
