Nabucco

For his third opera, Verdi chose a story from the Old Testament: the Babylonian king Nabucco (the Nebuchadnezzar of the Bible) has defeated the Hebrew people and taken them captive to his capital. His younger daughter Fenena, who loves the Hebrew Ismaele, attempts to mediate between the two peoples, but this only draws the displeasure of both sides upon the young couple. When Nabucco, drunk with victory, proclaims himself a god, he descends into madness, and his elder daughter Abigaille deposes him. In captivity, he gradually regains his sanity and realises his wrongdoing; back in power, he sets the Hebrews free and pays homage to their God.

In this opera, which marked his major breakthrough, the composer already demonstrates his unerring dramatic instinct. It has far more to offer than just the famous Prisoners‘ Chorus. Using passionate musical means, Verdi sketches a series of vivid characters, far removed from simplistic black-and-white portrayals. Even the Hebrew leader Zaccaria is not immune to resorting to drastic measures to achieve his goals. Prejudices prevail on both sides of the political divide, and the lovers almost fall victim to them. However, the conflict of world history is also reflected in the private sphere, where the (half-)sisters Abigaille and Fenena not only love the same man (namely Ismaele), but both also desperately vie for the love of their father Nabucco. With its perhaps utopian, yet hopeful ending, the opera is more relevant than ever.