"D'Arcangelo lacks the gritty edge to make his Attila truly fearsome, but the flipside of this is that his limpid, idiomatic delivery of Solera's libretto fives the character warmth and humanity ... There's more fire from María José Siri's Odabella, gutsy in attack and affecting in more lyrical repose, if just occasionally wavering off pitch"

"Mariotti coaxes suitable delicacy and drama from the Orchestra of the Teatro Comunale di Bologna in a consistently assured reading of the score. Daniele Abbado's 2016 production is vaguely Game of the Thrones with a few inexplicable contemporary touches ... Maria José Siri is sensational as Odabella, immensely powerful in both voice and stance, every facial expression nuanced ... She is well paired here with Ildebrando d'Arcangelo, a brooding Attila who exudes psychological angst and vocal authority ... A bit of a mixed bag then, this production, but where it is good it is very, very good"

"The vocal strengths of this cast are near ideal for the music and story. In the eponymous role Ildebrando D'Arcangelo is not quite on top form, as his normally mellifluous bass voice is sometimes a little raw. His acting, however, is convincing, as is his stage presence ... As Ezio, the opponent Attila admires and honours, Simone Piazzola is a new voice to me and welcome for its Italianate quality ... He sings with strength, variety of tone and acts well. As Odabella, Uruguayan Mari José Siri, is also new to me. She is an outstanding actress with a warm well-centred voice with more than adequate vocal strength to her tone to ride the demands of Verdi's stirring music ... I have not mentioned the production or staging, which is minimalist ... The playing of the orchestra, and the contribution of the chorus, are of the highest order"

Vurdering: 4/5