Opera 'Attila' by Verdi - Takorine

Opera 'Attila' by Verdi (in 1846)

A simple 30-second synopsis for those who don't have much time:

[Prologue - Act 2]
In the mid-5th century, the Huns gained power and took over Central Asia, Germany, the Black Sea, and the Baltic Sea.
They also advance into Italy, putting Rome in danger.

Attila (King of the Huns) strengthens his power with a hard-line attitude.
Ezio (Roman general), Forrest (Italian knight), and Odabella (Forrest's lover) vow to take revenge.

[Act 3]
Attila takes Odabella as his bride.
However, Odabella betrays Attila and stabs him.

With revenge accomplished, the opera ends.

1)
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Based on the play Attila, King of the Huns by Tsaharias Werner
Script: Themisto-the Solera
Premiere: 17 March 1846, Teatro La Fenice, Venice

2)
Prologue.

The setting is Aquileia, Italy, 452 BC.
Italy is invaded by Attila, king of the Huns, known as the 'Whip of the Gods'.
While the Huns celebrate their victory, a group of female Roman captives are brought to the city.

3)
The women's leader is Odabella, whose father was a lord of Acreia but was killed by Attila.
Odabella said that Italian women would defend their homeland at any time.
Moved by her courage, Attila offers to reward her, and Odabella asks for a sword.

4)
Attila gives her his sword, and she swears that she will avenge her late father with it.
After the women had left, Attila summoned Roman general Ezio and treated him with respect as a general of the enemy army.

5)
Ezio then makes a secret offer to give him Italy in exchange for the entire Roman Empire (duet 'Tardo per gli anni').
Attila is offended and rejects the offer, declaring that he will destroy Rome once and for all.

6)
A storm is brewing on the mudflats of the Adriatic Sea.
As the storm passes, the nobleman Forrest, Odabella's fiancée, appears with a group of refugees from Akureia.

7)
Forrest is concerned for Odabella's well-being ('Ella in poter del Barbaro, 'That man is in the hands of the barbarians').
The people hail the sunshine as a beacon of hope, and Forrest tells them to build a new town between this sea and the sky.
This later becomes Venice.

8)
Act I.

Odabella marches to the outskirts of Rome and stays at Attila's encampment, looking for an opportunity to kill him.
She looks up at the night sky and contemplates the faces of her late father and Forrest.
She thinks that her fiancé is also already dead ('Oh! nel fuggente nuvolo').

9)
Then suddenly, Forrest appears.
Odabella is overjoyed, but Forrest, who saw her with Attila, taunts her as a traitor.
Odabella tells him that she has only revenge on her mind, and the two reconcile.

10)
In a tent at the encampment, Attila is having nightmares.
An older man appears before the gates of Rome and in the name of God.
Attila is denied entry (‘Mentre gonfiarsi l'anima’).
After regaining his composure, Attila orders his army to march on Rome, but then a procession approaches.

11)
The procession is led by Leo, Bishop of Rome.
He is the same person as the older man in the nightmare, who said the same lines to Attila as in the dream.
Attila is horrified by the singing of Christians praising the power of God.

12)
Act II.

In the Roman camp, Ezio recalls the former glory of Rome
('Dagl'immortali vertici', 'From the summit of eternal and beautiful glory').
Attila's slaves appear and tell Ezio and the captains of the Roman army that they are invited to a banquet.

13)
Forrest is among them, and during the banquet, he confides in his plan to trick Attila.
Ezio is excited by the idea of retaliation for his country.

14)
The king of the Huns entertains Ezio and the Romans in his camp.
The Amazons, whose priestesses sing and entertain their guests, also wait in the wings.
Ezio again offers Attila a secret agreement, but he refuses.

15)
Meanwhile, Forrest tells Odabella that Attila's cup has been poisoned.
Feeling that he has deprived Attila of the opportunity to take revenge by his hand, Odabella warns the king just before he drinks.
Furious, Attila chastises him, asking who was responsible.

16)
When Forrest advances, Odabella asks that his disposal be left to him in return for saving the king's life (Chorus' Lo Spirito de' Monti').
Attila agrees and, as a token of his gratitude, declares that he will marry Odabella the next day.

17)
Act III.

Forrest awaits news of Odabella's wedding
and laments her blatant betrayal ('Che non avrebbe il misero', 'Poor man to Odabella').
Ezio arrives and tells her he is ready to attack the Huns at a single signal.

18)
The sound of a wedding procession is heard in the distance. Then Odabella suddenly appears.
Distraught, she asks her father's ghost for forgiveness for the fact that she is about to marry her father's avenger.

19)
When Forrest stands in front of her and questions her, Odabella says that she has not changed her mind and
insists that everything will be revealed shortly.
Attila comes looking for his bride and finds Odabella with Forrest and Ezio,

20)
He accuses the three of betrayal and ungratefulness ('Tu, rea donna', quartet).
The three men reciprocate with hatred.

At that moment, they hear a distant shout and realise that the Roman army has launched an attack on the unsuspecting Huns,
Odabella stabs Attila to death.

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