Nabucco

Undoubtedly one of the most famous melodies in opera history — that is the popular prisoner choir “Va pensiero” from Nabucco, which was even considered Italy's secret national anthem in Verdi's time. But it was also Verdi's unmistakable sense for theatrical situations that made Nabucco the composer's first major success; Verdi also found his very personal music-dramatic language here. The powerful, contrasting choir scenes, which focus on the Babylonian-Hebrew conflict, the destruction of the First Temple in Jerusalem and the Babylonian exile of the Jews, are contrasted with the story of the disintegration of a ruling family: Abigaille and Fenena are half-sisters who both love the young Jew Ismaele; their father, the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar, falls into madness and despair Lung. The title role features Nicola Alaimo, a charismatic baritone who is entirely at home in Italian tradition, alongside him the brilliant Saoia Hernández as Abigaille. With Antonino Fogliani, a fiery Verdi conductor is on the podium.

Dramma lirico in four parts by Giuseppe Verdi Libretto by Temistocle Solera based on the drama Nabuchodonosor by Auguste Anicet-Bourgeois and Francis Cornu Premiered on March 9, 1842 in Milan Premiere at the Deutsche Oper Berlin on September 8, 2013