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Speranza Scappucci makes her house debut conducting Verdi's early opera in concert, featuring Russian bass Ildar Abdrazakov as an outstanding Attila. 

Livermore updates the scene to the 1930s, but seems to be setting Mussolini's Italians against invading Germans. 

Outstanding vocal and orchestral performances light up La Scala's season opener, matched to a conservative but visually arresting staging from Davide Livermore.

Traditionally, Italy's most unforgiving loggionisti are reputed to reside at Parma's Teatro Regio. Thankfully for the cast, they appear to be a dying breed.

A zinging account of Verdi's score, making up for Daniele Abbado's nondescript production. 

Giuseppe Verdi’s Attila is not an opera that one hears often. Composed during his self-styled “galley period” – before he found his mature musical voice with Rigoletto – Attila has inherent musical and dramaturgical weaknesses. With one foot still firmly rooted in bel canto tradition, the numerous cabalettas can be exhausting, even ridiculous, considering the dramatic nature of the text.

Attila, Verdi’s ode to Italy (one of them), made its world première in Venice to huge bursts of patriotic feeling. “You can have the universe, but leave Italy for me!” exclaimed the Roman general Ezio, and the audience erupted. Small wonder: the opera appeared at the height of the Risorgimento, when Italy was in the process of unifying into one state.

In an attempt to persuade Attila the Hun to spare Italy from the scorch and burn policy, the corrupt Roman general Ezio says, "Avrai tu l'universo, resti l'Italia a me," ("You can have the universe, but leave Italy for me").

Daniele Rustioni, Tatiana Serjan et Erwin Schrott triomphent dans Attila de Verdi

Dans le cadre des Nuits de l'Orangerie, Anna Netrebko avait concocté le 4 juillet un programme d'opéra italien quasi en famille, à destination de ses nombreux fans : ceux-ci n'ont pas été déçus.