Opera Australia’s first ever co-production with the prestigious Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Verdi’s Attila by renowned Italian director Davide Livermore, will open at the Sydney Opera House on 12 March 2020.
Attila, King of the Huns, is invading Italy as he conquers Europe. Ezio, a Roman General, is determined to stop him. He offers Italy’s empires in exchange for his country’s freedom. Attila will not negotiate, declaring he will have Italy anyway.
Ezio plots Attila’s downfall with Foresto, a young knight whose fiancée, Odabella, is among Attila’s slaves. But Odabella already has a plan to kill the King. He is transfixed by her beauty and courage, and has foolishly given her his sword. In this race for vengeance, who will have the final say?
Known for his work with Opera Australia’s innovative digital productions, Livermore fuses together modern and traditional staging for Attila with digital projections, a colossal set and even two live horses. Attila premiered to great acclaim in Italy in 2018, receiving a fourteen minute standing ovation from the audience at its conclusion.
Verdi’s revenge opera will feature a world-class cast. Ukrainian bass Taras Berezhansky will return to Australia to make his role debut as the barbarous Attila. Widely praised for his performance as Colline in Opera Australia’s 2019 production of La Bohème, Berezhansky will bring his booming voice and commanding stage presence to the titular role.
Armenian-Australian soprano Natalie Aroyan will join Berezhansky on stage, making her role debut as the warrior princess Odabella. With her career going from strength to strength, Aroyan recently returned from Italy where she performed the title role in Aida at the prestigious Verdi Festival in the composer’s birthplace, Busseto.
Opera Australia favourite, tenor Diego Torre will make his role debut as Odabella’s fiancé Foresto and Italian baritone Simone Piazzola will make his Australian debut as the determined Roman General, Ezio. Rounding out the principal cast are Company principals Virgilio Marino as Uldino and Gennadi Dubinsky as Pope Leo I; both making role debuts.
Italian Maestro Andrea Licata will lead the Opera Australia Orchestra, the fifty-five person strong Opera Australia Chorus and the Opera Australia Children’s Chorus in Verdi’s rarely performed work.
With Davide Livermore’s incredible direction, Giò Forma’s formidable sets, D-Wok’s captivating video designs and Gianluca Falaschi’s stunning costumes combined with Verdi’s soaring music and gripping story will ensure this production of Attila is nothing short of epic.
Conductor: Andrea Licata Director: Davide Livermore Featuring: Tara Berezhansky, Natalie Aroyan, Diego Torre, Simone Piazzola, Virgilio Marino, Gennadi Dubinsky, Opera Australia Chorus, Opera Australia Children’s Chorus, Opera Australia Orchestra Rehearsal Director: Alessandra Premoli Assistant Director: Andy Morton Set Designer: Giò Forma Costume Designer: Gianluca Falaschi Lighting Designer: Antonio Castro Digital Content Designer: D-Wok Fight Choreographer: Troy Honeysett
Attila
Joan Sutherland Theatre – Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point
Season: 12 – 28 March 2020
Bookings: www.sydneyoperahouse.com
For more information, visit: www.opera.org.au for details.
Image: Davide Livermore’s production of Attila – courtesy of Teatro alla Scala