

Barbarian warlord meets opera diva — it's giving toxic masculinity with a vibrato.
First staged at the Teatro La Fenice in 1846, Verdi’s ninth opera, Attila, returns to the stage of La Scala on December 7th. Following the inauguration of the 2015-2016 Season with Giovanna d’Arco and in anticipation of Macbeth, with Attila Musical Director Riccardo Chailly continues his study of Verdi’s early works, renewing a successful collaboration with creative director Davide Livermore that began with his acclaimed production of Donizetti’s Don Pasquale for La Scala. In this complex opera Verdi experiments with fresh perspectives, featuring spectacular historical settings, introspective angles and moral uncertainties. Attila demands of its performers not only passion and confidence, but also the ability to find subtle accents and psychological nuances.
Direction
Livermore's spectacular staging with introspective angles.
Acting
Abdrazakov's nuanced barbarian with psychological depth.
Score
Chailly's fresh take on early Verdi's rhythmic drive.
Director
Patrizia Carmine
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This 2018 production marked Chailly's continued excavation of Verdi's 'galley years' — the overlooked early works before Rigoletto.
Verdi wrote Attila during Italy's Risorgimento; audiences heard coded nationalist fervor in Attila's defeat, though censorship forced ambiguity.