The Prelude
Although only a short piece of music of forty bars, it succinctly suggests the tragedy of the hero Attila. It begins with the slowest of plates in C minor, overlapping the seventh chords of the woodwinds over the shadowy bass movements of the cellos and bassoons, and with the use of a chromatic progression, a sense of tragic tension brews.
From the sixteenth bar emerges a beautiful and passionate string melody, which, after many repetitions adorned by decomposing chords, is replaced by a powerful reproduction of the opening bass theme by the trombones (retracted horns), which alternates with the second theme of the mellifluous glissando, and terminates on the C minor dominant chord.
Prologue
Midway through the fifth century AD. Having conquered most of the European continent and having already stormed Italy, King Attila and the elite forces of his Hun army, taking advantage of the aftermath of the destruction of the city of Aquileia on the Adriatic Sea, are ready to take Rome in their hands.
Scene 1 The Piazza of Aguilera
The city, still littered with the embers of war, was crowded with Huns and Ostrogoths in the piazza, who sang the "Opening Chorus" to a majestic brass performance, and then rode in on the orchestra music that had the sound of snare drums, as King Attila made his entrance. The crowd cheered the Great King with a powerful four-part chorus. Attila, on the other hand, boasts of the magnificence of his power in a declamatory tone full of majesty, having won the victory with the help of the great god Fodan. The powerful chorus of the entire group erupted once again, singing in unison in praise of Attila's great deeds.
At this time his man Vidino escorted Eudabella and the other Aguilera girls, and when he was accused of disobeying Attila's order to drive the Aguileras to extinction, he defended himself by saying that it was in order to offer these brave warrior women as a tribute to the king. When he asked Odabella, "You are a woman, why do you fight bravely," she replied, "It is for the love of the fatherland," showing her enthusiasm by singing up to a three-point C and down to a two-octave B in a single breath.
She then sang a short cadenza, "Strong as a Lion," riding on orchestral percussive shapes and in a fierce, strong voice that soon exploded with energy. It was here that the orchestra began to show Verdi's characteristic fervor and leaping rhythms, and punctuated her singing with unison.
In the middle section of the cantata, which becomes an allegro, Attila, touched by Eudabella's love of her country and her courage, decides to give her what she wants, but Eudabella asks only for her sword back. Attila then gives her back her sword, but Oudabella vows to use it to avenge the murder of her father. It's a middle-of-the-road, fast-moving run-through equivalent of an aria, still powerfully sung in a range two octaves wide, with her determination to exact revenge on Attila.
After Oudabella and the women had retired, Attila ordered Weidino to bring up the Roman envoy Ezio. Attila respected Aizio, the Roman general who had defeated Attila's army at the Battle of Chalons. Aizio waited until all the people had retired before making it clear that he was not here as a Roman envoy, but to make a secret deal with Attila on a personal level. He said that the Roman Empire was weakening, and that he was willing to recognize Attila's dominion over the whole of Europe, but in exchange for this, he asked Attila to place Italy in his hands. Attila heard this and immediately and sternly refused.
This is a dramatically overlapping duet between the two men, with Ezio more agitated and athletic and Attila more subdued, singing calmly in a narrow register, the two men contrasting sharply in character. When Attila flatly refused, Ezio left angrily.
Scene 2 Mireland by the Adriatic Sea
The curtain opens after a violent and tense Allegro prelude from the orchestra. This contains perishing harmonies with chromatic progressions and sixteenth note nervous fast clusters, it is and emphasizes the music of ferocious strong notes, which, needless to say, besides making a depiction of a stormy scenario, symbolizes the strong fighting power of Attila's army. The basic key of this prelude can be thought of as C minor, but the tonality is not easily established, emphasizing more the uneasiness and tension.
The monks are praying in front of a church built over the water. Their chorus is sung in unison by baritones divided into two groups, with barely visible movement of the intervals, which soon gradually intensify as they sing a hymn to their Creator. At this time a large group of fleeing old people from Aguilera arrived in innumerable small boats, led by Forrest. The mixed voices they sang alternated with the unison singing of the Thunders.
Forrest, thinking of his lover Eudabella, who had been captured by the Huns, worriedly sang the short song "She's in the Hands of the Barbarians," a melody that goes up and down only in narrow intervals of fourths and expresses quite succinctly Forrest's suppressed feelings.
Soon, with a mixed chorus convinced of the inevitable triumph of the motherland, sang the second half of the run-through: "O Beloved Fatherland," a magnificent patriotic cheer that had turned into a fervent outburst of song, and then finally picked up the pace to end in a full chorus.
Act I Scene I The forest near Attila's camp
It was a moonlit night a few weeks after the prologue. With a sorrowful prelude played by the violin, Oudabella, now Attila's captive, enters the scene, alone in the moonlight and in grief, missing her dead father and her lover, Forrest, whose whereabouts are unknown. It is at this point that the romantic song sung by her, "Oh! In the White Clouds That Float Away," a romantic piece sung by her, created an impressive lyrical atmosphere in the extremely transparent tones of flute, English horn, harp and cello.
At this point, the strangely costumed and disguised Forrest appeared. Oda Beda was startled, thinking he was dreaming. But unexpectedly his attitude was full of anger. He mistakenly thought that Oudabella had become Attila's beloved concubine, forgetting the oath he had made with him.
The first half of the duet between the two was arranged with a solo sung by Forrest in the A-minor line, and an A-major song that was exciting to listen to and slightly flustered by Oudabella. Oudabella struggles to justify her claim that she is studying the story of Eutychus, the Jewish widow who killed the Assyrian general Horophaneus and saved her country in ancient times, and is now deliberately pandering to Attila as she waits for the opportunity to avenge her country and her father, after Forrest has rested his anger and understands the true situation. The second half of the duet became an Allegro in D-flat major, and the two embraced passionately in a song overflowing with joy and full of love.
Act II In Attila's Tent
Lying in bed, Attila awakens and leaps to his feet from a nightmare. He tells Vidino, who is by his side, that while preparing to conquer the capital of Rome, an old man appeared before him and proclaimed, "Though thou wilt wield the whip at will against mankind, thou shalt not be allowed to set foot in the sacred land of Rome!" These words caused Attila the Bold, who had no idea what fear was, to feel incredibly frightened. But Attila, who quickly recovered himself, sang out his determination to conquer Rome.
The music then changed to a very fast Allegro in A minor. Attila rallied his men-at-arms and magi and gave orders to attack Rome. The group responded with a powerful three-part chorus of male voices, letting out cheers and preparing to go into battle, when from behind the stage came an unaccompanied four-part chorus of female voices in praise of the Creator, and then, led by the old man in white, there was a group of women and children praying for God's blessing and peace as they slowly approached. Because what the old man, Leonay, sang was exactly the same as what the old man had said in his dream, Attila, who was assailed by fear, lost all will to fight and fell to his knees on the spot.
Forrest, Leonay and Odabella, who were in the crowd, witnessed Attila's fearful expression and regained faith in their beliefs and the victory of their country. Shown here are the chorus of the whole group, Attila's solo, the quartet of Oudabella, Forrest, Soul Dino and Leonay, and the mixed chorus (five or seven parts) that make up the program.
Scene 1 The camp of Ezio with a distant view of the Roman capital
At this point, having read the retreating orders of the Roman Emperor Valentinian, who had concluded a truce with Attila, Ezio could not suppress the resentment and rage in his heart. The short piece sung by him at the moment, "From the Upside of Everlasting Glory," is Verdi's characteristic baritone aria, a smooth and beautiful melody that is often favored by students with a variety of lyrics in European school songs.
Then it turns into an Allegro in F minor, and the slaves of Attila, guided by the soldiers of the soil, come to proclaim that Attila wants to entertain Ezio. Forrest, who mingled among this group of messengers, avoided the people's ears and crept up to Ezio to speak of his plan to take revenge on Attila, gaining his approval. After the crowd retired, Ezio sang "My Fate Has Been Bet Alone" with fervor to a majestic running song.
Scene 2 Attila's camp
This was the time of a lavish, lively celebration. Beginning with an orchestral prelude in F major, stately fast wrenching and ornate, the stage is crowded with Hun and East German nobles, military generals, magi and sorceresses, all singing the song of the feast with joy. Then General Ezio, the guest of honor for the evening, made his entrance, guided by Weidino, and Attila welcomed him warmly.
At this point, the Deity magi (baritones singing in unison) approached Attila and warned him of the danger that would befall him, and at this point the bass strings played a unison motion and ominous vibrato, which he ignored as if nothing had happened. Then the music changed to a slightly faster tempo in the middle key of C major, and the Hun witches sang a beautiful two-voice chorus, but a sudden onslaught of a violent storm extinguished all the lights.
While the crowds were disoriented in the darkness, Forrest, mixed in with the soldiers, rushed to grab Oda Bella's hand, and Ezio renewed his offer of an alliance with Attila, which was still rejected. It was a quartet of the four confessing their respective states of mind and a mixed chorus of the whole group that formed a concerto-like chorus.
Soon, with the storm far away and the lamps lit again, the calmly restored Tira gave orders and the orchestra began to play rapturous music again. As Attila raised his glass to make a toast, Oudabella suddenly exclaimed, "The glass has been poisoned." The astonished Attila angrily pursues the culprit to ask who did it, and Forrest steps forward and admits that he did it. When Attila tried to kill him, Oudabella pleaded, "I saved your life; let me punish this man!" Attila declared, "This man will be rewarded to you, and from tomorrow you will be queen."
At this point Ezio, Forrest, and Soul Dino each renew their resolve for vengeance, and with the mixed chorus (six or seven parts) of the congregation, a glorious chorus is displayed.
Act III The forest between the two camps
It is the morning of the wedding day of Attila and Odabella. Furious that she has betrayed him, Forrest plots with Widener to raid Attila's tent. The short romance he sings at this point, The Wretched Man and Odabella, is full of anguish and anguish in this little aria.
At this point, Ezio appeared on stage, constantly urging Forrest to make up his mind without hesitation. Soon, from behind the stage came a joyous chorus celebrating the wedding (mixed voices in seven parts, a cappella), and Fredrikstad reached the point of intolerance, where the orchestra struck violent diminished-seventh chords at the very top of their voices.
At this point Oudabella, dressed in a beautiful new wedding dress, escaped from the tent and told Forrest, "You can have your revenge," desperately explaining that she was chaste and that her love for him would never change, but Forrest didn't believe a word of it, and formed a slow trio with Ezio, who stood next to him. But then it connects right back to the final quartet.
Attila came out after him to take the fleeing Oda Bella back. When he realized that Forrest and Ezio were there, he angrily said What are your ill intentions? But Oudabella said that she saw the ghost of her late father by the new bed in the cave, and then threw away the queen's crown from her head and cursed Attila.
The dramatic quartet of four gradually picked up speed and reached a peak of excitement when the shouts of the Roman army raiding Attila's camp came from the back of the stage (a two-part male chorus). When Forrest thinks that the time has come to take revenge and catches up with Attila, Oda Bella is one step ahead of him and kills Attila with a dagger, avenging his father's death. Attila immediately collapses in a pool of blood and dies. The curtain falls on a song of victory chanted by the crowd.