Most famous operas peace. Original title, author and short description.

Attila (Attila), G. Verdi.

Lyrical drama in 3 acts with a prologue; libretto by T. Soler and F. Piave based on the tragedy by Z. Werner.
First production: Venice, Teatro La Fenice, 17 March 1846

Characters: Attila (bass), leader of the Huns; Odabella (soprano) daughter of the ruler of Aquileia; Foresto (tenor), officer of Aquileia; Ezio (baritone), Roman general; Uldino (tenor), Attila's squire; Leone (bass), an old Roman.

The action takes place in Aquileia and near Rome in 434-453.

Prologue. Picture one. The ruins of the Roman city of Aquileia, captured by the Huns. The Huns glorify their leader Attila. He appears in a palanquin. Attila's slave Uldino brings captive Roman girls who fought alongside their fathers, brothers and suitors to their master. Serid captives - the daughter of the ruler of Aquileia, who fell on the battlefield, Odabella. The girl is convinced that her fiancé, Foresto, also died. Odabella proudly declares to Attila that she is ready to share the fate of her compatriots who defended their homeland. Attila admired the courage of the girl and was subdued by her beauty. He is ready to fulfill her every wish. Odabella asks for her sword back. The leader of the Huns hands her his. With a sword in her hands, Odabella swears to take revenge on the enemies who ravage Italy and bring so much grief to her people. Attila forgives her insolence. He feels that love for the brave and beautiful foreign woman is kindled in his heart. Attila is informed of the arrival of the Roman ambassador, the commander Ezio. The leader of the Huns graciously receives him. Ezio is full of vain plans and offers the Huns to conclude an alliance on the condition that Italy will go to him. The ferocious leader of the Huns refuses - he will be able to conquer not only Italy, but also become the ruler of the whole world.

Picture two. Lagoon on the Adriatic coast. Here, in hastily built huts, huddle Roman refugees fleeing the Huns. This is the place where later will be erected " new rome- Venice. The hermits who sheltered the Romans call for consolation in prayers. A boat approaches the shore, with which their leader, Foresto, Odabella's fiancé, miraculously survived, leaves. He indulges in thoughts about the fate of Italy, about the sad fate of Odabella, who was captured. However, the young man believes that the hated Attila with his hordes will be expelled.

Action one. Picture one. Forest not far from the camp of the Huns. Odabella appears. Looking at the moon, she plunges into the sad memories of the death of her father and mourns her fiancé. Foresto appears in front of her in the clothes of a Hun. Finally, he found his beloved. But now, having discovered it in the lair of enemies, Foresto is seized with suspicions. The girl quickly disperses them and reveals to Foresto her plan of revenge. She, taking advantage of the location of Attila, will kill the leader of the Huns.

Picture two. Attila's camp. The Lord of the Huns awakens in his tent, guarded by the faithful Uldino. He is under the impression of an ominous dream: an old man of enormous growth is blocking the way for the Huns to Rome. The superstitious Attila is in turmoil. However, the formidable warning of fate cannot shake him. Having mastered himself, he gives the order to prepare for the offensive. Voices are heard from afar. In the camp, accompanied by children and young girls singing a Christian hymn, the old Roman Leon, the high priest of the Christians, appears. In it, Attila with horror recognizes the old man who had dreamed of him. Leon convinces Attila to abandon the march on Rome. This city is holy, and heaven itself keeps it. Attila cancels the order to advance.

Action two. Picture one. Camp of Roman soldiers. In the distance are the seven hills of Rome. Ezio reads the message of Emperor Valentine, in which he calls him to Rome for a period of truce with the Huns. Vanity and ambitious dreams of becoming the ruler of the Roman Empire haunt Ezio. The ambassadors of the Huns are coming. Among them is Foresto in disguise. Left alone with Ezio, Foresto reports that tonight the leader of the Huns will be poisoned - the Roman soldiers must be ready to suddenly attack the enemy camp.

Picture two. Feast in the camp of Attila. Attila cordially welcomes Ezio, ignoring the warnings of the old men that a stranger at a feast brings misfortune. A gust of wind extinguishes the torches. In the dark, Foresto informs Odabella that poison has been poured into Attila's bowl. However, Odabella, not wanting to cede her right to revenge to anyone else, warns Attila about the assassination attempt. Foresto, furious, admits that he was the one who tried to poison Attila. Odabella asks the leader of the Huns to let her decide the fate of the culprit. Attila agrees and declares that Odabella will become his wife tomorrow, and then he will lead his troops to Rome. Taking advantage of the general jubilation, the girl tells Foresto to run.

Action three. The forest separating the camp of Attila and the camp of the Roman soldiers. Foresto is waiting for Attila's servant, Uldino. He reports that the wedding of Attila and Odabella is about to take place. Foresto is furious - he is convinced of the betrayal of his beloved. Ezio advises him to think only about the upcoming battle. Odabella runs. She managed to quietly disappear from the wedding tent. Foresto accuses her of treason. The girl is trying to convince him that agreeing to marry Attila is a maneuver for revenge on the murderer of her father and the enslaver of the homeland. Suddenly Attila appears. He is outraged to see Odabella in the company of Foresto and Ezio. Warlike cries are heard - the Romans launched an attack on the Huns. Foresto takes out a dagger and rushes at the bewildered Attila. But Odabella is ahead of him, plunging her dagger into the chest of the enemy with the words: "My father, I offer him to you as a sacrifice!" Roman soldiers are running from all sides. Victory over foreign invaders won.

The Milan theater will present the famous opera "Attila" by G. Verdi to the public. The viewer's interest in this fascinating performance has not disappeared for several centuries. The story, described in the work of the German playwright Werner, was revised by the librettists Piave and Soler. Two directors worked on the modern production - Jerome Savary and Christopher Swan. Everyone will be able to see the performance "Attila" on December 7, and this magical performance will last until January 8, 2019.

"Attila": heroic-patriotic opera about justice and love for the motherland

Opera "Attila" at La Scala tells the story of how the people living on the Adriatic coast tried to capture and enslave the horde of the Huns, led by the warrior Attila. They rob, destroy, rape and kill the proud Romans. The entire population joins the fight against the barbarians, including women who fight fearlessly, standing shoulder to shoulder next to their husbands.

One of them is the daughter of the ruler Odabella. Attila is subdued by her beauty and fearlessness. He gives the girl his sword, showing a sign of respect and wanting to bribe the proud ruler with such attention. But pride is in the blood of the Romans, and they want to stop the destructive horde with all their might. Odabella helps the Roman general Ezio and distracts Attila by agreeing to become his bride. During the wedding, Roman troops surround the camp, and a fight ensues, during which Odabella stabs the barbarian enslaver with his own sword, given to her.

Opera "Attila" by Giuseppe Verdi

The opera Attila is one of 28 operas written by Verdi. Like other works, it was written with the utmost dedication of the composer, attentive attitude to the libretto and characters. Verdi was not afraid to "shred" the plot, removing insignificant scenes and characters that, in his opinion, did not attract one hundred percent of the viewer's attention.

The opera "Attila" turned out to be colorful with big amount powerful choral scenes, bright mass battles, bewitching, perfectly betraying what is happening on the stage, music. This performance was shown for the first time in Venice in the spring of 1846. The audience, without looking up, looked at the stage, empathized with the characters and admired the beauty of what was happening. Opera "Attila" was not presented in Moscow, but the capital's audience and residents of St. Petersburg could hear parts from this famous work at the Mariinsky Theater and at the House of Music as part of opera concerts.

Tickets for the opera Attila

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The composer wrote an opera based on the play by Friedrich Ludwig Zacharias Werner Attila, King of the Huns "(1808).

The storyline begins in the square in Aquileia, on the border of night and morning. The warriors of Attila rejoice: a new victory opened up a blessed land for them. Appears on a chariot Attila. His thoughts are occupied with one captive - Odabella. She sings of the heroism of Italian women who are ready to go into battle for men. Fearing no one, Odabella demands that her weapon be returned to her. Attila admires the stamina of the girl. In gratitude, he gives her a sword. The girl realizes: the hour of revenge will come soon.

Attilamet with Aetius, a worthy adversary. Aetius offered a deal: he would give Attila the whole world, only he asked to keep Italy for himself. But the king of the Huns is unshakable: he will crush the vanity of Rome.

The next scene takes place in the Adriatic lagoon. The coming morning reveals the ravishing beauty of Rio Alto. Hermits, led by Foresto, mourning Odabella, praise heaven for the gift of life. They miraculously managed to survive after the invasion of Attila. Now they bear the burden of resurrecting their homeland from the ashes.

Night falls again. In the forest, near the camp of the Huns, Odabella mourns her father and fiance. Suddenly Foresto stands in front of her. He throws accusations of betrayal to the girl. She shows the young man a sword - an instrument of revenge, which Attila himself put into her hands. The lovers embrace each other happily.

Attila sleeps in his tent. Suddenly he jumps up in horror. A terrible vision flashed before my eyes. God Himself forbids him to set foot on Roman soil ... Meanwhile, Aetius reminisces about past glory. Attila's envoys invite the commander to a feast. Foresto manages to warn Aetius about secret sign: when the fires are lit on the mountain, the Romans will go into battle. If they win the victory, they will get back their own freedom.

During the feast, the druids notice fatal signs. But the king of the Huns drives them away. A sudden thunderstorm puts out the lights. People jump up in horror, but not Attila. He only feels anger and rage. The king demands that the torches be lit again. He is ready to start the feast and drink the cup for the glory of Odin. Odabella stops him: "There is poison in the bowl!" Then Foresto confesses to poisoning the drink and draws his sword. But Odabella asks to leave the young man to her, in gratitude for saving his life. Attila agrees. Let Rome prepare for battle. Takovo the last word king of the Huns.

The next day, the wedding celebrations of Attila and Odabella took place. They go to the tent. The girl is haunted by the ghost of her father. She runs wherever her eyes look, and suddenly stops in front of Foresto. The young man is jealous of his beloved, but Aetius reminds the young that now is not the time for jealousy and quarrels. Attila takes the three by surprise and goes berserk. He married the slave Odabella. Foresto gave life to the traitor. Aetius saved for Rome. And they made a conspiracy. Suddenly, Odabella again imagines a bloodied father. Without thinking twice, she throws off her crown and kills Attila. Everyone triumphs: the peoples conquered by the king of the Huns have been avenged.

History of creation

Giuseppe Verdi became acquainted with the plot of Werner's play in 1844. The tragedy inspired the composer so much that he immediately had sketches of choral songs and characters of the heroes of the future opera. To translate a play from German into Italian language Giuseppe Verdi invited the librettist Francesco Maria Piave. The composer himself writes the score a year after the start of work on the text of the opera. He handed over the sketches of the libretto to Themistocles Solera, with whom he had also previously collaborated. He valued the librettist for his knowledge of theatrical nuances. But the librettist began to protest against Verdi's notes on the alteration of the text. Moreover, he suddenly left for Barcelona and the composer could hardly take the unfinished libretto back. Now Francesco Maria Piave has taken up the work on the text again. In October 1845, the theater "La Fenice" signed a contract with Giuseppe Verdi to stage the opera. The work had every chance to become exemplary. In December, the first rehearsals began, but due to the composer's illness they were interrupted for one month.

The audience gave the opera a standing ovation. According to Verdi "Attila" went well. “There was even too much applause and challenges…”. Spectacular scenes, magnificent arias, energetic music - these are the keys to the success of Attila. Critics call the opera a "stage rarity". Each production of a work becomes a special event. Attila has been staged in the world's major opera houses and remains in their repertoire to this day.

Interesting facts:

• Opera "Attila" was the last joint work Giuseppe Verdi and Themistocle Solera (fifth in a row).
• The composer himself spoke about the opera: “My friends tend to consider this opera the best I have written. The public is arguing. I say that it is no weaker than my previous operas: time will tell.”
• "Attila" caused a stormy response from the Italian public. At the time of the premiere, Venice was still part of Austrian Empire. On the eve of the revolution of 1848, when people seemed to be heated to the limit, the phrase of Aetius “Take the universe for yourself, leave Italy to me” was accepted by the listeners with a bang, people shouted in response: “We, we have Italy!”.

“Scourge of God”, “furious boar” - such nicknames, in which horror is mixed with admiration, were awarded by contemporaries to Attila, the leader of the Huns. The mere name of this conqueror inspired fear, and the power created by him military force stretched from the Rhine to the Volga. The circumstances of his death are shrouded in mystery - having defeated the power of the Burgundians, he died on the marriage bed with the Burgundian girl Ildiko. Perhaps this happened due to natural causes (after all, Attila was no longer young), but the legend connected the death of the cruel leader with the revenge of Ildiko - and this is seen as a cruel mockery of fate: the great warrior, whom no man could defeat on the battlefield, accepted death at the hands of a woman.

The personality of Attila was subjected to artistic comprehension back in the Middle Ages - he turned into one of the heroes of the Nibuleng epic under the name of Atli (Etzel). Dante Alighieri brought him to the "Divine Comedy" in one of the circles of Hell. And, of course, writers of the era of romanticism could not pass by such a bright personality. In 1808, the German poet Zaharias Werner created the tragedy Attila, King of the Huns, and in 1844 it attracted attention. The composer did not immediately get to know her directly - at first he read about this play in Madame de Stael's book "On Germany". After reading the tragedy, Verdi thought of it as a possible plot for the opera, but this plan was not implemented immediately: The Two Foscari, Alzira, Joan of Arc were created, and only in 1845 Verdi concluded with the Venetian theater La Fenice contract for Attila.

In Verdi's opera - as in Werner's tragedy - historical facts intricately intertwined with artistic fiction. Almost all the heroes - except for Foresto (the heroine's beloved) and Uldino (Attila's slave) - have historical prototypes. In the image of Idelgonda, who received the name Odabella in the opera, the figure of Ildiko is guessed, but here she is not a Burgundian, but an Italian - the daughter of the governor of Aquileia. This Italian city Attila really ruined in 452 and threatened Rome, but Pope Leo I managed to keep the conqueror from attacking Rome by paying a huge amount (Leo I - Bishop of Leone - is also present in the opera, but his negotiations with Attila look more majestic) . And finally the third historical figure, bred in the opera, is Flavius ​​​​Aetius (Ezio), the commander, known as the “last Roman”, who fought against Attila not without success.

The action of the opera begins in the ruined Aquileia, where the barbarians, led by Attila, are celebrating their victory. However, the inhabitants of Aquileia are defeated, but not broken - and the conqueror is convinced of this when the beautiful captive Odabella appears before him. The angry speech of the beauty delights the commander so much that he presents her with his own sword. Odabella sees this as a sign of fate - she has to take revenge. During the negotiations, the Roman commander Ezio offers Attila a deal: let the Hun take the whole world for himself - but let him give up Italy, but the leader rejects his offer, anticipating the capture of Rome. Meanwhile, the surviving residents of Aquileia find shelter in a hermitage on the shore of the lagoon. Among them is Foresto, beloved of Odabella. He believes that his bride is no longer alive, and now he can only hope that his people will be reborn from the ashes under the shadow of a sacred altar.

Odabella also believes that Foresto is dead. She tries to see his image in the clouds when her lover, who has entered Attila's camp, appears before her, accusing the girl of treason. Odabella reminds him of the act of Judith, who seduced King Holofernes and killed him on the bed for the sake of saving her people - Odabella intends to do the same with Attila. Meanwhile, the leader of the Huns is no longer so sure of the success of the campaign against Rome: in a nightmare he sees a majestic old man blocking the path to the city. Suddenly, the elder really appears in the camp, at the head of a procession of women and children carrying palm branches - this is Bishop Leone of Rome. To the great surprise of his warriors, Attila retreats before him - or rather, before God, on whose behalf Leone speaks.

Ezio, invited by Attila to the feast, conspires with Foresto: the conqueror will be poisoned at the feast, after which the Romans will attack the barbarians. At the last moment, Odabella warns the leader that the wine in the bowl brought to him by Foresto is poisoned - not because she managed to fall in love with the enemy, but because she does not want to cede the right to revenge to anyone. Attila announces that tomorrow he will marry her. At the request of the bride, he grants life to Foresto. During Attila's wedding to Odabella, the Romans attack the Huns' camp and Odabella kills Attila.

Attila is one of those Verdi operas in which contemporaries saw the motives of the liberation struggle. The music is filled with passion and heroic pathos, which determines the complexity of the vocal parts. Each of the four heroes is endowed with a detailed heroic aria, while the final quartet, in which these strong characters converge, becomes the culmination.

The birth of opera was not easy. Francesco Maria Piave began to work on the libretto, continued by Temistocle Solera, but he did not agree to the changes that the composer demanded, and Verdi again transferred the libretto to Piave. Despite these difficulties, the opera was completed and staged in Venice in March 1846 with great success.

The Russian premiere took place three years later in Odessa. In St. Petersburg, the opera Attila was staged only in the 21st century - in 2010 it was presented by the Mariinsky Theater.

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Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi is a famous Italian composer of the 19th century.

Throughout his career as a composer, he created 28 operas and one requiem. His work is the greatest achievement of operatic art in the whole world. We can say that the composer was born already in order to create masterpieces of Italian opera. There would not be a single person on earth who has not heard about such operas as Un ballo in maschera, Rigoletto, La traviata, Aida, Othello, etc.

Verdi always approached his work with trepidation. For example, he was personally engaged in the search for a plot for the libretto, trying to get the librettist to remove unnecessary details and unnecessary characters from the plot, leaving only the most filled scenes. Such fruitful cooperation gave rise to the opera Attila. The libretto for it was written by the Italian librettist, writer and composer Temistocle Solera. It must be said that this union with Verdi lasted more than one year and Solera wrote many librettos for the operas of the great composer.

You can listen to the opera for free online on our website of the Orpheus Club.

Opera Attila is a patriotic opera in three acts. It is based on the struggle of the peoples living on the coast of the Adriatic Sea with the invaders based on the play by the German playwright Zacharias Werner "Attila, King of the Huns".

In the prologue, the invaders led by Attila invade the Adriatic. A wave of destruction, robberies and atrocities is sweeping across the country. Barbarians plunder settlements, kill civilians and capture those who resist. Among the prisoners there are a lot of women who, on an equal footing with men, fought for their country. Attila, struck by the courage of women, gives one of the captive daughters of the ruler, the conquered territory - Odabella, his sword. He thinks that by showing such a sign of attention, he will bribe the enemy. The hardest thing for the bridegroom is the girl - Foresto, he miraculously escaped captivity, and is watching everything that happens behind the shelter. But while he can do nothing and understands that in freedom he can do more good.

The first act takes the audience to Attila's camp. Barbarian has a terrible dream about his death. Waking up in horror, he prepares his troops for a further offensive. There is no rest for him in this country, where hatred for him is so great. And for good reason. Odabelle plots to kill the enemy with his own sword and repeat the feat of Judith. HER fiancé - Forest, who secretly made his way into the enemy's camp, is trying to dissuade her. He swears eternal love to her and convinces her that he will do everything himself. But the girl is sure of the opposite - she is closer to the enemy than anyone else. Other prisoners sing rebel songs throughout the night, showing their defiance. And from this, the soul of the conquerors is even harder and the anxiety is only growing.

Brief summary of the second act: in the hope that wine can fill anxiety, Attila arranges a feast in his camp. He is very pleased with himself, because just now Odabella saved his life by preventing him from drinking the poisoned wine that he presented to him in the Foresto Cup. Thinking that he did pacify the captives, the barbarian wanted to drain his glass with one gulp, but the girl dissuaded him. Realizing that the wine was poisoned, he wanted to kill the young man, but his savior begged not to use force against the prisoners. The leader calmed down a bit and decided to marry Odabella. He ordered to prepare everything for the wedding and continue the fun.

In the third final act, the Roman general Ezio sends his troops to surround Attila's camp, it's time to put an end to this uncontrollable horde. He himself remains in his camp, next to him is Foresto, who tells about all the events. Suddenly, Odabella makes her way towards them. She ran away from her wedding, and is looking for her beloved to explain everything to him. Pursuing his bride, Attila runs in. Realizing that a conspiracy is being plotted against him, he rushes at Odabella. Without thinking twice, the girl draws her sword and pierces the tyrant. He dies, and at this time the Roman troops set up the camp of the conquerors.

On March 17, 1846, this opera was heard for the first time in Venice. The theater of La Fenice was overflowing with spectators. The exciting plot of the opera, accurately composed self-portraits of the main actors, and amazing arias, were great. And all this, in harmony with the beautiful music, fascinated the audience and made them look at the stage without stopping and empathize with the heroes of the opera. Reviews from critics were not positive. The fact is that at that time Venice was part of the Austrian Empire, and this is precisely what gave the opera a political overtone that could easily be “read between the lines”. But, despite this, the opera Attilo is loved by connoisseurs of real art, and this is the main thing.

You can listen to the most famous arias from the opera Attilo online for free on the website of the Orpheus club.