Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901): Nabucco
The famous opera about yearning for freedom.
Libretto: Temistocle Solera
Author: Giuseppe Verdi
Musical Preparation: Gergely Kesselyák
Conductor: Jakub Klecker, Jaroslav Kyzlink
Director: György Selmeczi
Set Design: Karel Drgáč, Josef Jelínek
Costume Design: Josef Jelínek
Chorus Master: Josef Pančík
After the spectacular failure of Verdi’s second opera Un giorno di regno, written during a dark period when he lost his wife and two children, he vowed never to compose again. Bartolomeo Merelli, the director of the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, offered Verdi a libretto by Temistocle Solera, Nabucodonosor whose title was later shortened to Nabucco for a production in Venice. After several attempts, Merelli eventually persuaded Verdi to write the opera. The huge success of this work established Verdi’s reputation as a composer and put him back on track to go on to write many masterpieces.
Although Nabucco is only Verdi’s third opera, he succeeded in creating an impressive work. The passionate music of the work deals with the liberation of the Jews following their captivity by the Babylonian King, Nabucco. When the opera had its premiere in 1842 in Milan, it fully corresponded to the mood of the people at that time, as they yearned for liberation and the unification of Italy. The work was also a symbol of the struggle for freedom which is still relevant in today’s world. ‘Va, pensiero’ – ‘The Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves’, sung in the third act, has become one of the most famous opera melodies of all time and remains to this day the unofficial national anthem in Italy. The score blends rhythmic vitality and powerful drama, and is on a scale that does justice to the opera’s epic themes.
