Attila

Following Giuseppe Verdi's "Luisa Miller", with which Ivan Repušić made his debut as principal conductor of the Münchner Rundfunkorchester in September 2017, and "I due Foscari" in October 2018, the conductor's successful cycle of early masterpieces by the famous Italian opera composer now continues with "Attila". In the recording of the concert performance from the Prinzregententheater, outstanding performers provide authentic fluidity and vocal splendor. This highlight of Munich musical life from the end of last year is now already being released on BR-KLASSIK as a double album.

Following Giuseppe Verdi's "Luisa Miller", with which Ivan Repušić made his debut as principal conductor of the Münchner Rundfunkorchester in September 2017, the conductor’s successful cycle of early masterpieces by the famous Italian opera composer now continues with “Attila”. In the recording of the concert performance from the Prinzregententheater, outstanding performers provide authentic fluidity and vocal splendour. This highlight of Munich musical life from the end of last year is now being released on BR-KLASSIK as a double CD. Like its predecessors "Nabucco" and "I Lombardi", Verdi's early masterpiece "Attila" is a choral opera in the best sense, and gained an enthusiastic reception from the Italian unification movement: its themes reflected the aspirations of the Risorgimento in the restless Italy of that time.

Septembre 449. Attila, le grand Khan, installe son immense campement sur l'estuaire du Danube. Parmi les nombreux présents qui lui sont offerts, une cage dissimulée par une tenture intrigue le conquérant. Elle dissimule une étrange captive, la Lupa, accompagnée par son dresseur, le géant Guddur. Au fil des épisodes se révèle l'histoire fascinante de cette créature hors du commun et dont le destin est désormais lié à celui du roi des Huns, lors de sa lutte contre Rome.

This record is different. It’s a conversation between three musicians - three musicians who are friends. That is what unites them, that and their musical starting point: the classic jazz of Lester Young at one end of the scale, Zoot Sims at the other, with Lee Konitz and Lennie Tristano serving as a sort of focus point. The great French jazz critic André Hodéir called this type of classic jazz “modern Count Basie”. One could also name it “middle of the road jazz”. It was once common ground for all three, but later each one developed into a distinct direction which suited him best. Each of the three has become known, and when one of their names is mentioned it immediately brings to mind precise musical connotations. Each calls to life a whole musical “world” - each his own. Now the three musicians meet again, after many years, to communicate with each other - in dialogues, triologues, and monologues - in duos, trios, and solos…

The world lays in tatters, exhausted, bleeding, scarred and burnt, the people desperate. But even after the apocalypse there are men willing to give everything to return to light, to knowledge, to civilisation. Whatever the cost, and whatever the means…It is the age of a chosen few, an age of greatness, when the first true kings built vast kingdoms from the ashes of past empires… it is the Age of Charlemagne. The year is 768AD and, after the death of his father, Charlemagne is to share the Frankish throne alongside his brother. A situation that ill-befits a man of his vision, and their relationship clouds as he feels the fiery blood of his grandfather, Charles Martel, stir in his veins.