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 deported 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 his senses and manage to save his younger daughter Fenena, who is to be sacrificed by her sister Abigail to the Babylonian god Baal. He promises the Jews he will build a new temple in Jerusalem to honor their God.

Premiered in Milan in 1842, Nabucco marked the international breakthrough of Giuseppe Verdi. He had experienced a difficult time in the years leading up to the creation of this first masterpiece: in quick succession, his two children and his wife had passed away. His career as an opera composer had also stagnated. Discouraged by failures and personal tragedies, Verdi had briefly considered giving up composing. It was only when he read Temistocle Solera's libretto for Nabucco that he found new hope. Starting with the lines 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.