Nabucco

Opera by Giuseppe Verdi

Nabucco is a drama about power, love, religion, and freedom, based on the Old Testament story of the destruction of the First Jewish Temple in 586 BC: Nabucco, King of Babylon, has conquered Jerusalem. In his delusion, he has the Jewish people taken into Babylonian exile and declares himself a god. For this, he is punished with madness: no longer master of his own senses, he is deposed by his daughter Abigail. Only when he acknowledges the God of the Hebrews does Nabucco return to life and manage to save his younger daughter Fenena, who is to be sacrificed to the Babylonian god Baal by her sister Abigail. He promises the Jews to build a new temple in Jerusalem in honor of their God.

Premiered in Milan in 1842, Nabucco marked Giuseppe Verdi's international breakthrough. He had experienced a difficult time in the years leading up to the creation of this first masterpiece: both of his children and his wife died in quick succession. His career as an opera composer was also stagnating. Discouraged by failures and personal tragedies, Verdi briefly considered giving up composing. It was only when he read Temistocle Solera's libretto for Nabucco that he found new hope. Based on the lyrics of the famous Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves, Verdi's first sensational success was born. To this day, this chorus remains a poignant example of the humanitarian concerns of its creator, who was also politically active throughout his life.