Type: Opera
Composer: Giuseppe Verdi
Program: Attila
Orchestra and Choir: The Mariinsky Theater
Conductor: Valery Gergiev
Soloists: Ildar Abdrazakov, Anna Markarova
Location: The Mariinsky Theater, Russia
Year: 2012

Conductor Valery Gergiev brings dramatic weight to Verdi’s restless score of Attila, revealing an opera with power, loyalty, and the dream of a homeland. Attila embodies Verdi’s political imagination, transforming the story of the invading Hun into a work charged with questions of nationhood. Premiering in Venice in 1846, the opera resonated deeply with Italian audiences and Ezio’s declaration, “You may have the universe, but leave Italy to me” drew spontaneous applause on opening night.