All About Attila

As Seattle sits snow-bound, northern Italy is currently being invaded. Invaded by a barbarian whose name is pronounced more than one way: uh-TILL-uh in English, and AH-teel-uh in Italian. OK, so not an actual military invasion, but rather, an operatic one.

For Attila – whichever way you choose to pronounce it – is currently enjoying its première at the Seattle Opera (which, incidentally, is closed today, with the following in white lettering on a blood-red banner across the top of their homepage: “Due to inclement weather the ticket office will be closed today. Tickets and subscription packages for Attila can still be purchased online.”) Your Hedonista attended opening night as media on Saturday, January 14th.

Attila was the leader of the Hunnic Empire and ruler over the Huns, who were Eurasian nomads. Known as Attila the Hun, this barbarian leader ruled from 434 CE until his death in 453 CE (allegedly from a nosebleed, of all things). Although he and his warriors on horseback ravaged Italy’s northern regions, he failed to take Rome before his death.

Attila is a bel canto opera by one of the most influential composers of the 19th century, Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (1813-1901). This, Verdi’s number 9 out of a total of 28 operas he composed in his lifetime, is set to an Italian libretto penned by Temistocle Solera, which in turn is based on an early 19th century play by Friedrich Ludwig Zacharias Werner entitled, Attila, König der Hunnen (Attila, King of the Huns). Its original première took place on March 17, 1846.

Overall, Saturday’s performance was brilliant from an aural perspective. The most difficult role – one that demands endless stamina, seemingly boundless range, competition with a very loud orchestra, and significant colorature agility – is that of the warrior-heroine Odabella. This role was sung most impressively by Ana Lucrecia García. And Canadian John Relyea’s booming voice was as battle-like as his character Attila. But unfortunately I found much of the stage presence of the cast to be somewhat stiff and lacking in the passion and animation that are warranted in such times, places, and struggles.

The costumes and set reminded me of my recent attendance at the Seattle Shakespeare Company’s Coriolanus; again, that minimalist, modern-day warfare theme for both settings and costumes seems downright ubiquitous, these days. I did enjoy the projector screen, which in mere moments could transform the set from the war-tone Italian city of Aquileia (located near Venice) to Venice and its lagoon, to a secluded, silent fort at night.

Filled with political intrigue, pro-Italy sentiments, divided interests, and a love triangle, this opera ends with one of the shortest death scenes in the opera world: Odabella gets to kill Attila with the sword of her father, the king of Aquileia, whom Attila’s men kill in the opera’s prologue. This opera may be all about Attila, but really it’s more about his not-really-true-to-history dramatic downfall and demise.

Attila runs for only six performances from January 14th until the 28th, with five performances remaining, including the next performance to be held on the 18th and a single matinée on the 22nd. Tickets range in price from $25 to $213, depending on the section and performance date.

Note: In order to comply with FTC Act 16 C.F.R. 255, Heed the Hedonist would like to disclose that it does receive media “comps” and/or media discounts – but not in exchange for favorable coverage, or for withholding unfavorable overage, of the given venue/meal/performance/product/service.