— Verdi's spectacular
Venetian opera, pertormed by an all-star cast, from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Sung in Italian.
This production continues the Royal Opera House's planned staging of all
Verdi's early operas. It is hard not to believe that this piece, written for Venice, was not composed deliberately as a crowd pleaser. The plot actually takes in the birth of Venice
- perfect for the patriotic city - and it is packed with spectacular stage pictures and brilliant arias, particularly for Odabella, the fiery heroine. The plot is basically the story of a great man brought low by love. Attila the Hun (who is not a barbaric savage here,but a great man of honour) sees Odabella among his prisoners, is infatuated by her, and ultimately murdered by her. She kills him to avenge the deaths of her father and brother and to free her homeland: she never allows herself to feel anything but hatred for him. There are plenty of political overtones here which must have seemed very contemporary to the Italy of the Risorgimento. Odabella and Attila are the focus of the plot because, interestingly, Foresto, her lover and the founder of Venice, is actually among the weaker characters, unable to act decisively and forcing
Odabella to take matters into her own hands.
Elizabeth Connnell , who sings the virtuoso coloratura role of Odabella, and Samuel Ramey , who has the equally demanding title role, have both performed the piece in Venice itself. Dennis O'Neill sings Foresto, Odabella's lover, and Giorgio Zancanaro the treacherous
Roman Ezio. The conductor is the Verdi specialist Sir Edward Downes.
Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, conductor Edward Downes.
Actl
9.05 Hordes
An impression in sound and fury of Attila the Hun, his allies and enemies, with Jonathan Tafler , Peter Penry Jones and Melinda Walker.
9.35 Act 2
(In association with the Friends of Covent Garden)