RECORDING OF THE MONTH
Giuseppe VERDI (1813-1901)
Attila - Opera in a prologue and three acts (1846)
Attila, King of the Huns - Giovanni Battista Parodi (bass); Ezio, a Roman
general - Sebastián Catana (baritone); Odabella, daughter of the Lord of Aquileia
- Susanna Branchini (soprano); Foresto, a knight of Aquiliea - Roberto De
Biasio (tenor); Uldino, a young Breton, Attila’s slave - Cristiano Cremonini
(tenor); Leone, an old Roman - Zyian Atfeh (bass)
Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro Regio, Parma/Andrea Battistoni
rec. Verdi Theatre, Busetto, October 2010
Director: Pier Francesco Maestrini
Sets and Costumes: Carlo Salvi
Video Projections: Alfredo Troisi.
Video format: 1080i; Aspect: 16:9. Sound Format: DTS-HD MA 5.01
Booklet notes in English, German, French
Subtitles. Italian (original language), English, German, French, Spanish,
Chinese, Korean, Japanese
C MAJOR BLU RAY 721704 [118:00 + 10:00]
This is numbered 9 in the complete edition of all twenty-six Verdi operas,
plus the Requiem, scheduled to appear on video. Recorded at the Parma Verdi
Festival, and called Tutto Verdi, the edition will mark the bicentenary
of the composer’s birth.
Premiered in 1846, when Verdi was thirty-three years old, Attila
was written well into the period following the success of his third opera,
Nabucco in 1841. He called this period his “years in the galley”
as, during this time, he was constantly on the move from his base in Milan
to bring his latest opera to the stage and supervise revivals of others. This
pace of life took its toll on his frail psyche and bodily well-being. In 1845
he wrote “My mind is always black. I must look forward to the passing
of the next three years. I must write six operas.” One of those six was
Attila. It was the first of three written under a contract with the
publisher Lucca who retained all rights. It was the first time Verdi had written
for a publisher not a theatre. Several years later Lucca sold the autograph
to a wealthy Englishman living in Florence. It is now in the British Museum
and is the only Verdi autograph not held by the Italian publisher Ricordi
or the Bibliothčque Nationale in Paris.
Based on Zacharias Werner’s play Attila, König der Hunnen, Verdi’s
opera was first performed at the Teatro La Fenice, Venice, in March 1846.
In sequence it follows on from the failure of Alzira whose limitations
the composer himself recognised. Alzira is one of the two Verdi operas
that, prior to the recordings to be issued in this series, has not previously
appeared in the video medium.
Interest in Attila only waned as it was overtaken by the popularity
of the great trio of the composer’s middle period: Rigoletto, Il
Trovatore and La Traviata. The reason for this is to be found
the delineation of character in the music allied with the thrusting style
found in Nabucco. These qualities are there in the rousing choruses
and in the arias and duets that define the characters. The magnanimous nature
of Attila, who has raised Aquileia is heard in the opening aria (CH.3) and
when he is confronted by the feisty Odabella (CHS.4-6). That of his respected
opponent, Ezio, is evident as he calls on the victor “You may have the
universe but leave Italy to me” (CH.7); the line was designed to rouse
nationalistic sentiments against the occupying Hapsburgs. A similar sub-text
possesses the music for Odabella, the feisty daughter of the slaughtered King
of Aquileia. This is immediately evident when she confronts Attila and later
when she has to convince her lover, Foresto, that she remains faithful to
the cause and to the intention to kill Attila (CHs.14-15 and 34-35). The music
for her lover, Foresto is not as well defined, perhaps related to the equivocal
nature of his role as lover of Odabella as well as a soldier intent on revenge.
This performance was recorded at the Teatro Verdi in the town of Bussetto,
where Verdi lived and later bought his estate. It was the place where as a
child he had lodged with Barezzi, who subsequently financed his musical education
in Milan and whose daughter he married. She, together with their two young
children died as Verdi sought to build his career. The building of the theatre
and its naming brought some conflict between Verdi and the town council who
expected him to contribute to its building. He eventually did so, but never
entered it. It seats only about three hundred, fewer for opera productions.
Its cramped stage conditions are challenging for directors. Franco Zeffirelli
produced operas there, as has the vastly experienced Pier Luigi Pizzi who
presented I Vespri Siciliani in 2003 (see review).
He produces the same opera that is featured in this series with Daniela Dessi
as Elena. Verdi’s second opera, Un Giorno di Regno, already issued
in this series (review in hand) was also recorded in this theatre.
Pier Francesco Maestrini, the director of this production, sets things in
period with the help of costumes and minimal sets by Carlo Salvi. He achieves
a most atmospheric and realistic setting by the use of imaginative and active
video projections by Alfredo Troisi. Perhaps the best of these is in Act Three
where the woodlands even have an apparently flowing stream. These projections
allow the Director full use of the small stage with minimal restriction. He
uses it most imaginatively and in a realistic manner to allow the soloists
and chorus to present a very worthy performance.
In such a small theatre it is difficult to assess the absolute qualities of
the soloists. Suffice to say that there are no evident weaknesses. In the
title role Giovanni Battista Parodi is sonorous and generally steady with
an imposing physical presence. He is matched by his opponent Ezio, sung with
tonal strength and excellent characterisation by the Romanian baritone, Sebastián
Catana. As the feisty Odabella, Susanna Branchini is a revelation. She sounds
like the genuine article: a dramatic Verdi soprano. Rather like the young
Elena Suliotis she tends to fling her voice with abandon and the effect is
electric. I would like to hear her in a larger theatre. Roberto De Biasio
features on several of the issues in this series. I have noted in my review
of his singing of the role of the young Foscari in the performance of I
Due Foscari (review in hand) his is a voice of much promise with a pleasing
clear timbre. He often makes an effort at expression as well as singing mezza
voce and sotto voce when appropriate. As in that 2009 performance,
he still lacks elegance of phrasing but I hope that aspect will develop. On
the plus side he does not shout, varying his modulation to the music and words;
virtues not exhibited by every contemporaneous tenor in the Verdi repertoire.
To the virtues of the staging and singing I must add those of the vibrant
and committed acting of the chorus. Then there is the matter of the conducting
of Andrea Battistoni. He looks far too young to be in charge of a production
of any Verdi work, let alone one so demanding in drama and full of thrust
and rousing melody. I gather that he was a mere twenty-three years of age
at this performance! He certainly seems to be of that line of Italian conductors,
some of whom have gone on to great careers on the rostrum at some of the best
operatic addresses as well as music director titles. The audience certainly
recognise the quality of his contribution at the curtain.
On CD there are two alternatives worthy of consideration. That on Philips
(426 115-2) issued as part of their early Verdi series has the immaculate
Carlo Bergonzi as Foresto alongside a thin-toned Cristina Deutekom as Odabella.
Ruggero Raimondi sings the title role sonorously, albeit a touch lugubrious.
On EMI (see review)
a sonorous and characterful Samuel Ramey in the eponymous role is well matched
by Cheryl Studer as Odabella. Whilst Neil Schicoff is no match for Bergonzi,
the two baritones, Sherrill Milnes on Philips and Giorgio Zancanaro on EMI,
are excellent. The Opus Arte DVD from La Scala, recorded in the 1990-1991
season (OA LS 3010 D) enjoys a realistic staging. It is conducted by Muti
who has the same main cast as his EMI CD recording except for Kaludi Kaludov
as an undistinguished Foresto.
Robert J Farr
Imaginatively staged, well-sung, vibrantly and idiomatically conducted. A
thrilling winner in this series.
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