Nabucco by Verdi, Tue 24 Sep 2019, From (2019/2019), Directed by Andreas Homoki, Conductor Fabio Luisi, Opernhaus, Zurich, Switzerland

The famous prisoners' chorus, "Va, pensiero, sull'ali dorate", is considered the heart of Giuseppe Verdi's Nabucco: The Hebrews, whose temple city Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians, lament their fate. They are trapped in Babylonian exile and at the mercy of King Nabucco, who overestimates himself. Against the background of this Babylonian-Hebrew conflict from the sixth century BC, Verdi unfolds the drama of individual destinies, such as that of Abigaille, an unhappy lover who initially believes she is Nabucco's daughter, but then learns that she is descended from a slave. With her, Verdi created an operatic heroine who, early on in the Italian composer's operatic output, revealed all the individuality and psychological turmoil of a strong Verdi character. No less fascinating is the character of Nabucco, who changes from megalomaniac oppressor of the Hebrew people to follower of Jehovah. Out of a deep life crisis - after the death of his first wife and his two children and the failure of his previous operaUn giorno di regno – Verdi found his own musico-dramatic language through the Nabucco composition and was celebrated for it at the premiere in 1842 at the Milan Scala. General Music Director Fabio Luisi will also conduct the revival of this opera. Baritone Dalibor Jenis can be heard as Nabucco. For a very special gala performance, we were able to win Plácido Domingo for the title role, who switched from tenor to baritone a few years ago.