Cheap Verdi - Attila / Ramey, Studer, Zancanaro, Kaludov, Gavazzi, Muti, La Scala Opera (DVD) Price

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Customer Reviews of Verdi - Attila / Ramey, Studer, Zancanaro, Kaludov, Gavazzi, Muti, La Scala Opera

'Scourge of God' unexpectedly sympathetic in Verdi's opera
Verdi's opera 'Attila' premiered on St Patrick's day 1846 receives a winning performance by Riccardo Muti's La Scala forces. Every time Muti undertakes the direction of a Verdi opera one can expect the earth to move and here expectations are far from disappointed.The score is very uneven where passages of genius join hands with passages of merely routine competency. It's hard to believe that 'Macbeth' (even in its 1847 version) would follow it. Nonetheless given an excellent cast the opera can excite, and an excellent cast is what this production gets. Samuel Ramey in the title part is a regal Attila more noble than the noblest of Romans. Giorgio Zancanaro as the Moesian traitor, (not Italian traitor as the commentators inaccurately describe him)Ezio leader of the Roman armies provides an external nobility to the character and conveys his cynicism and dillusionment in his Act II aria 'Dagli immortali vertici, a true Verdi baritone aria. Odabella as sung by Cheryl Studer sings with bite paricularly in her 'aria di sortita' but can provide bel canto where needed in the romanza'O nel fuggente nuvolo' and in 'Te sol quest'anima' the trio made famous by the Gigli/Rethberg/Pinza recording of the 78 era. Bulgarian Kaludi sings lyrically as Foresto, dramatically the least interesting character in the opera and Mario Luperi makes a good impact as Leone, the historical Pope Leo I. The opera was based on a tragedy by Hans Zacharias Werner which in its original form was more Wagnerian than Verdian. The librettist Solera transformed into the standard operatic fodder of the era.The opera cannot be said to be historically accurate. The sack of Aquileia which historically followed the scene where Leone drives Attila back from Rome ' Thou art appointed as a scourge against mortals only.Withdraw! this is the territory of the Gods.' precedes it in the opera. A scene of the foundation of Venice absent in Werner's play was inserted to please the Venetians in whose city the opera was premiered. In Act II Ezio describes the Western emperor Valentinian as a 'coronato fanciul' (crowned child)when the said Valentinian is in fact middle-aged, and though Moesian calls himself the 'last of the Romans' (l'ultimo Romano). Furthermore, the historical Attila died on his wedding day as in the opera but the true manner of his death was not such to be portrayed on the operatic stage in 1846. Let's just say he died in the exercise of his conjugal rights! The La Scala production captures the cruelty and political instability of the era even if the historical inaccuracies are compounded by placing Rome by the seaside. Inaccuracies aside the production is a feast to the eyes and ears.The La Scala chorus are exciting as always.

An epic performance
This is an outstanding performance: well-staged, acted, and musically very satisfying. I didn't know what to expect, other than a lesser-known Verdi opera, and found it engaging and moving. It deserves to more popular. Samuel Ramey in the title role is as always a thrilling presence with a magnificent voice. Note: Having lived for awhile in Hungary, I learned that Attila is hardly seen as a barbarian but a national hero. Many name their boys after him (accent on the 1st syllable, BTW).