Attila

The King of the Huns meets his match. No one can stand before Attila and his hordes, until a warrior woman turns his head. As he opens his heart to his prisoner Odabella, the barbarian king reveals his weakness.

So the scene is set for one of the great revenge operas of the 19th century: an early Verdi in the vein of Aida.

Director Davide Livermore fuses video projections with colossal set pieces to create an awe-inspiring world for Attila.

This co-production with La Scala was a tremendous success at its Milan premiere. It's a "blockbuster spectacle" (Financial Times), with four vivid characters, two real horses and plenty of crowd scenes.

In the prelude, a mournful cello draws you down into the gravity and turmoil of war. Verdi’s score is full of darkness, rhythm and life, displaying the composer’s gift for creating emotion.

Renato Palumbo, a Verdi specialist, is the ideal conductor to showcase all the colours of this work. Taras Berezhansky is Attila opposite Anna Pirozzi as Odabella.