Opera Nabucco Program Notes Sheet Music and Recordings

Program Notes & Analysis

The Voice of the People

When the curtain fell on Nabucco at La Scala in 1842, the audience’s reaction was explosive. It was more than applause; it was a political demonstration. The Milanese, living under the oppressive rule of the Austrian Empire, saw themselves in the story of the Hebrew slaves. When the chorus sang Va, pensiero, a lament for their lost homeland, they were singing for all of Lombardy. Cries of Viva, Verdi! (Long live Verdi!) echoed through the theater, a phrase that itself became a coded patriotic slogan (VIVA V.E.R.D.I. secretly meant Viva Vittorio Emanuele Re D'Italia—Long live Victor Emmanuel King of Italy). Verdi, at 28, had done more than write a successful opera; he had captured the soul of a nation and, in one night, became the musical voice of the Risorgimento, the movement for Italian unification.

Solera's Epic, Biblical Libretto

The libretto by Temistocle Solera is not a subtle, psychological drama. It is a grand, epic tableau, more akin to an oratorio in its dramatic structure. Solera, who also provided the libretto for Verdi’s I Lombardi, had a gift for the monumental. He organized the opera into four distinct "Parts" rather than traditional acts, each named after a key event or figure: Jerusalem, The Impious One, The Prophecy, and The Broken Idol. The text is stark, declamatory, and filled with grand, primal emotions: faith, tyranny, jealousy, madness, and patriotism. This epic, almost biblical scale was the perfect canvas for the young Verdi, who was not yet a master of nuance but was already a master of raw, elemental force.

Forging a New Dramatic Language

Nabucco represents a violent and thrilling break from the bel canto tradition that had dominated Italian opera. The works of Gioachino Rossini, Vincenzo Bellini, and Gaetano Donizetti had prioritized vocal beauty, long, seamless melodies, and acrobatic agility. Verdi, while still using the basic aria-cabaletta forms of his predecessors, fills them with a new, aggressive, and rhythmic energy. The tinta, or dramatic color, of Nabucco is one of brute force, high-stakes conflict, and massive, block-like sonorities. He prioritizes dramatic punch over elegant vocalism, using the orchestra to drive the action with an almost brutal percussive force. This was a new, raw, and intensely theatrical sound.

The Chorus as Protagonist

The most revolutionary aspect of Nabucco is its treatment of the chorus. In most earlier Italian operas, the chorus was a passive observer, offering commentary or background color. In Nabucco, the chorus is a principal character. The opera is a conflict not just between individuals, but between two entire nations: the Hebrews and the Babylonians. The Hebrew people, in particular, are the opera’s collective protagonist and its moral heart. Their laments, prayers, and prophecies are the opera’s structural pillars. Verdi uses the chorus to express a vast range of emotions, from the terror of the opening scene to the defiant faith of their hymns and the profound, aching nostalgia of Va, pensiero.

Va, pensiero: An Anthem for Eternity

The Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves in Part III is, without question, the most famous piece of music Verdi ever wrote. It is a masterpiece of psychological and political expression. The music's power lies in its simplicity. Verdi sets the text to a long, sweeping, folk-like melody, sung largely in unison by the chorus. This unison singing gives it the feeling of a single, mighty voice, the collective soul of a people. The gentle, lilting 12/8 rhythm gives it the quality of a lullaby or a half-remembered song, perfectly capturing the pensiero (thought or memory) of a lost and distant homeland. It is this combination of simple, unforgettable melody and profound, universal emotion that allowed it to transcend the stage and become a timeless anthem of hope for oppressed peoples everywhere.

Zaccaria: The Voice of Faith

The opera’s moral anchor is Zaccaria, the High Priest of the Hebrews. This is one of the first in Verdi's long line of monumental roles for the bass voice. Zaccaria is not just a man; he is the embodiment of unwavering faith and national resistance. His music is broad, majestic, and unflinching. He opens the opera with a powerful prayer, D'Egitto là sui lidi, which immediately establishes the opera's solemn, religious tone. His solos, particularly his prophecy of Babylon's downfall in Part III, are less like arias and more like divine pronouncements, delivered with the terrifying certainty of a biblical prophet. He is the immovable object against which the opera's other forces collide.

Nabucco: The Baritone's Journey

The title role of Nabucco is a prime example of the emerging "Verdi baritone". He is not a simple villain but a complex, powerful man defined by his superbia, or hubris. His dramatic arc is the opera's central thread. We first see him as a ruthless conqueror, then as a loving father, and then as a megalomaniac who, in a moment of supreme arrogance, declares himself not just King, but God. This blasphemy is met with a divine thunderbolt that strikes him mad. Verdi’s musical depiction of this journey is brilliant, from the arrogant, declamatory lines of his entrance to the fragmented, broken, and pathetic music of his madness. His conversion in Part IV, expressed in the heartfelt prayer Dio di Giuda, is a moment of profound transformation, bringing the character full circle from tyrant to humble penitent.

Abigaille: The "Vocal Volcano"

The role of Abigaille is legendary, one of the most notoriously difficult soprano roles in the entire operatic repertoire. She is the opera’s primary antagonist, a woman consumed by ambition upon discovering she is the daughter of a slave, not the King. To express her venomous, inhuman drive, Verdi wrote music of extreme, almost reckless, vocal demands. The part requires a "dramatic coloratura" voice of immense power, range, and flexibility. She must navigate ferocious, disjointed melodies, furious coloratura passages, and gaping, two-octave leaps. Her opening scena and cabaletta, Salgo già dal trono aurato, is a vocal volcano, a declaration of ruthless intent. Verdi pushes the voice to its absolute limits to create a character of terrifying, larger-than-life ambition.

The Lyrical Heart: Fenena and Ismaele

Amidst the epic, public conflicts, Verdi provides a more conventional, lyrical love story for the mezzo-soprano Fenena (Nabucco’s true daughter) and the tenor Ismaele (a Hebrew). Their music provides a necessary contrast, a pocket of bel canto humanity in a world of gods and nations. Ismaele, in fact, is branded a traitor by his own people for having saved Fenena’s life in Babylon. Fenena’s conversion to Judaism is a key part of her character, and her prayer in Part IV, Oh, dischiuso è il firmamento, is a moment of sublime, peaceful lyricism just before her intended execution. It provides a beautiful, serene contrast to the fury of Abigaille and the madness of Nabucco.

The Dawn of a New Era

Nabucco is not Verdi’s most sophisticated opera. It is often loud, raw, and rhythmically four-square. But its very crudeness is a source of its power. It is the work of a young genius learning to wield new weapons, prioritizing blunt dramatic impact over all else. The opera was a sensation, receiving an unprecedented 57 performances at La Scala in its first run. It secured Verdi’s reputation, made him a wealthy man, and, most importantly, established the musical and dramatic templates he would explore for the next fifty years. Without the epic choruses of Nabucco, there is no Aida. Without the complex father-daughter dynamic, there is no Rigoletto. It was, as Verdi said, the true beginning of his artistic career.

Opera Story

Part I: Jerusalem Inside the Temple of Solomon, the Hebrews are praying as the Babylonian army, led by King Nabucco, advances on the city. Zaccaria, the High Priest, enters with Nabucco's daughter, Fenena, whom they hold hostage. He assures his people that God will not forsake them. Ismaele, the nephew of the King of Jerusalem, arrives to report that Nabucco is sweeping all before him. Zaccaria leaves, trusting Ismaele to guard Fenena. Alone, Ismaele and Fenena recall how they fell in love when Ismaele was an ambassador in Babylon and Fenena helped him escape.

Suddenly, Abigaille, Nabucco's other (supposed) daughter, bursts into the temple with Babylonian soldiers in disguise. She, too, loves Ismaele and offers him a deal: if he will love her, she will save the Hebrew people. He refuses. Nabucco himself then arrives with his army. Zaccaria confronts the King, seizes Fenena, and threatens to kill her if Nabucco desecrates the temple. Ismaele, horrified, disarms Zaccaria and hands Fenena back to her father. Nabucco, enraged, orders the temple to be destroyed and the Hebrews taken captive.

Part II: The Impious One In Babylon, Abigaille has found a document that proves she is not Nabucco's daughter but the child of slaves. She vows to seize the throne from Nabucco and destroy Fenena, whom Nabucco has appointed as regent in his absence. The High Priest of Baal, warning her that Fenena is freeing the Hebrew prisoners, supports Abigaille's ambition. They decide to spread a rumor that Nabucco has died in battle, ensuring the people will call for Abigaille to be queen.

Elsewhere, Zaccaria goes to instruct Fenena in the Jewish faith, as she has decided to convert. The Levites, however, curse Ismaele as a traitor for saving Fenena. Zaccaria's sister, Anna, defends Ismaele, revealing that Fenena's conversion has saved him. A moment later, an official announces Nabucco’s death, and Abigaille arrives to seize the crown from Fenena. Just as she does, Nabucco, very much alive, bursts in. He takes the crown, and, filled with hubris, declares that he is not just King, he is God. A terrifying thunderbolt strikes him from the sky. He is driven insane as Abigaille snatches the crown from his head.

Part III: The Prophecy Abigaille is now queen. The High Priest of Baal presents her with a death warrant for all the Hebrew prisoners, including the converted Fenena. Nabucco, disheveled and clearly mad, wanders in. Abigaille dismisses her court and tricks the confused Nabucco into signing the death warrant. When he realizes Fenena's name is on the list, he frantically searches for the document proving Abigaille's slave birth. She calmly produces it, reads it to him, and then tears it to pieces before his eyes. Nabucco, powerless, begs her to spare his daughter, but she mocks him and has him placed under guard.

On the banks of the River Euphrates, the Hebrew slaves are forced to work. They stop and sing their lament for their lost homeland, Va, pensiero, sull'ali dorate. Zaccaria rouses them from their despair, delivering a powerful prophecy that Babylon will be destroyed and their people will be free.

Part IV: The Broken Idol From his prison cell, Nabucco hallucinates as he watches Fenena being led to her execution. The horrifying sight snaps him back to sanity. He falls to his knees and prays to the Hebrew God, Jehovah, asking for forgiveness and vowing to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. His strength returns. A group of his loyal soldiers, learning of his recovery, burst in to free him. He takes up his sword and rushes off to save his daughter.

At the execution site, Fenena is saying her final prayer. Just as she is about to be killed, Nabucco and his soldiers arrive. He orders the execution stopped. At his command, the great idol of Baal shatters and falls to the ground. Nabucco announces his conversion, frees the Hebrews, and declares he will rebuild their temple. Abigaille, a Ssecond-act, arrives, having taken poison. In her dying moments, she begs Fenena’s forgiveness, prays to Jehovah for mercy, and dies. Zaccaria, seeing all that has happened, proclaims Nabucco the servant of God and King of Kings.