Search - Verdi - Attila / Nesterenko, Carroli, Chiara, Luchetti, Brunelli, Santi, Verona Opera on DVD

Spaghetti Hungarian

Dr. John W. Rippon | Florida | 01/19/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is a classic "stand and sing" Italian pot-boiler and I love it. The singers are Italian (except Attila), the setting is Italian, the performance is Italian (Arena di Verona), the audience is Italian (and quite vocal) and the conductor is 100% Italian and a great one at that, Nello Santi. From the moment the lights go on to start the prologue (no curtain, it's an huge arena) the um pah-pah begins as Foresto (Luchetti) a defeated knight faces the audience and belts out his sorrow over the loss of his native Italian land and his Italian woman Odabella to the nasty foreigner Attila. It's patriotism, it's Risorgimento (fight for Italy's freedom), it's a call for victory over the repressors ....and it's fun. The Ezio (a Roman general) of Silvano Carroli is a showpiece for the Verdi baritone, the heroine Odabella and her fiendishly difficult tessitura are stunningly done by Maria Chiara and it's a great romp for everyone else. Alas the Attila is a disappointment. The Russian Evgeny Nesterenko has a fine bass voice but he is no match for the memory of Samual Ramey. Ramey owned the part for many years and was a veritable fireball on stage. Nesterenko sounds nice but is not exciting. More's the pity for everything else is exciting and having a good time. I still recommend this as the true Italian spirit is there and you can smell the garlic and tomato sauce."