sign in sign up
<<
Home , Attila (opera), Bartolomeo Merelli, Nabucco, Oberto (opera), Temistocle Solera, Un giorno di regno

Meet the Composer Pittsburgh Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi Education thanks our (October 9 or 10, 1813 – January 27, 1901) generous supporters: by Jill Leahy American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. , born in a Bayer USA Foundation small village in Parma in The Frick Fund of the northern Italy, was 20 years Buhl Foundation old when he moved to The Jack Buncher Foundation to continue his studies. In Dominion Foundation 1839 he produced his first Eat ‘n Park Hospitality Group, Inc. successful opera, , ESB Bank Conte di San Bonifacio . First Commonwealth When his next opera failed, Financial Corporation

he was ready to give up Solera Temistocle Librettoby The Grable Foundation composing. Fortunately for The Hearst Foundation us, his friend Bartolomeo G Hefren-Tillotson, Inc. Merelli encouraged him to continue writing . Charles Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Osborne, in The Complete Operas of Verdi , relates a The Huntington National Bank wonderful story about Verdi’s creation of , the opera Intermediate Unit #1, Pennsylvania that was “born under a lucky star” and launched his career. Nabucco Photo from Israeli Opera production of Nabucco at the Masada (Hebrew for “fortress”), located atop an Department of Education isolated rock cliff at the western end of the Judean Desert overlooking the Dead Sea. On the east side, After repeatedly telling Verdi about the by Solera, Levin Furniture the rock falls in a sheer drop of about 450 meters to the Dead Sea, and on the western edge it stands about 100 meters above the surrounding terrain. www.fromthegrapevine.com Merelli forced Verdi to read it. Verdi said, “When I got home, Martha Mack Lewis Foundation I threw the manuscript on the table with a violent gesture, People’s Natural Gas Drama Rooted in History . . . Rising from Family Tragedy and stood staring at it. It had fallen open, and without Reed Smith LLP

At the age of 25 in 1839, Verdi experienced moderate success with his first realizing it I gazed at the page and read the line: “ Va The Techs - MetalTech opera, Oberto, at . However, following the deaths of his infant pensiero, sull’ ali dorate .” According to the story, Verdi was Triangle Tech Group United States Steel Corporation children and then his wife, his next opera, , failed. Verdi, deeply moved and read many passages from the Bible, but Verdi Giuseppe Music by in despair, decided to give up composing. , La Scala's he was determined not to compose any more and took the “Va pensiero, sull'ali dorate” manager, gave the Nabucco libretto to Verdi, who at first refused to read it. libretto back to Merelli. “My friend said, ‘Set it to music. Set it (Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves) to music!’ And with that, he took the libretto and thrust it in The libretto for Nabucco (short for Nabucodonosor; in my overcoat pocket, grabbed me by the shoulders and not Fly, thought, on wings of gold; English, Nebuchadnezzar) is based on biblical stories only pushed me out of the room but locked the door in my go settle upon the slopes and the hills, where, soft and mild, the sweet airs from the and the face. What was I to do? I went home with Nabucco in my of our native land smell fragrant! (along with Kings, Chronicles, and Psalms), an 1836 pocket. One day a verse, the next day another, at one time play by Auguste Anicet-Bourgeois and Francis Cornue, a note, at another a phrase. Little by little the opera was Greet the banks of the Jordan and a ballet adaptation of the play by Antonio Cortese. and Zion's toppled towers . . . written.” The principal story in Nabucco is about the Assyrian Oh, my country, so beautiful and lost! conquest of Judah and the of the Verdi delivered the opera Nabucco to Merelli in the autumn Oh, remembrance, so dear and so fatal! Hebrews. However, many music historians have written of 1841, and because it was so late in the season and the about the parallels to the state of Italy at the time. Italy schedule was already full, Merelli couldn’t afford new For more information on was not united as a country; many areas were under scenery or costumes but promised to use whatever he could Pittsburgh Opera's education the control of Austria and France, and the Italian from his warehouse. According to Verdi, at the 1842 programs, please contact: Nabucco, 1842 people were fomenting Risorgimento , or re-unification. premiere, “The refashioned costumes looked splendid. The costume sketch Marilyn Michalka Egan, Ph.D. When Nabucco was first performed at La Scala on old scenery, touched up by the painter Perroni, made an Director of Education March 9, 1842 under its original name of Nabucodonosor, the audience extraordinary impression. The first scene in the temple, for [email protected] response was overwhelming and the Italian public regarded it as a symbol instance, produced such an effect that the audience 412-281-0912 ext 242 of the struggle against Austrian rule in northern Italy. applauded for ten minutes.” Pittsburgh Opera

2425 Liberty Avenue The question is still being argued today: Did Verdi intentionally create a

Aren’t we lucky to benefit from both Merelli’s and Verdi’s Study Guide to the Opera Pittsburgh, PA 15222 “political opera” or, once he saw the result, did he then become a persistence? www.pittsburghopera.org spokesman for Italian freedom? by Jill Leahy

, ,

solera) . . , the , by Leahy Jill Oberto (www.grovemusic.com) (1815–1878) was awas

Nabucco , and libretto, aslibretto, well I Lombardi I Nabucco (http://www.ontopia.net/operamap/librettist.jsp?id= Meet the Librettist Giovanna d’Arco later operas and addition in to awas professional librettist and composermoderate of success. wrote theHe libretto for Verdi’sfirstopera, Soleraused books several in theTestament Old sourcesas for the Temistocle Solera larger-than-life character. He spoketorrents” “inand swore profusely. His life readsstory like a “Whilenovel: father his languished the in dreaded Spielberg prison, he was educated in , ran away to ajoin circus, hiscompleted studies Milan and,in Pavia and in twenties, his early published booksofworking verse.” After Verdiwith onmore several operas, followedSolera his wife to Spain, where he becamedirectorof productions in . He later returned to Italy anddied poverty. in as the 1836 play Augusteby Anicet-Bourgeois Francisand Cornue.Solera also relied onheavily Antonio Cortese's balletadaptation of play. the

on head (Dio (Dio di o in rushes ees the rtyrdom). clares clares and save his dismissesthe proving proving ppears. He ing ing the death ofIsrael to be executed . When. ople for , retrieves the st fromstforced ll happenll to raising God. raising God. terate topieces. He , takes poison and ). Zaccaria Va pensiero, landand rebuild Adapted from the Opera the fromMetropolitan Adapted (Non son più(Non re, son dio / The Babylonianshail Abigaille as their Theruler. High Priest urges her to have the Israelites killed, but before theshe can give From ain window his apartment, where he has been lockedup Abigaille,by Nabucco watches andFenena the beingIsraelites led to For this blasphemy, a (Oh diaggravasi qual onta Intermission Synopsis continued

His His sanity restored,heforces open the Nabucco

Therefore the wild beasts of the the of beasts the Therefore wild thebeasts theof desert with wild and owls the there, dwell shall islands 50:39) therein. (Jeremiah dwell shall Bel is confounded, Merodach is is is confounded, Bel Merodach are idols broken her in pieces; are broken images confounded, her (Jeremiah 50:2) in pieces. Giuda / of Judah!). God door andhis summons soldiers to regain the throne daughter. In theGardens, Hanging the Israelites areabout to forgiveness, topledging convert hishimselfand pe execution. Desperate,he prays tothe god of Israel order,disheveled the Nabucco wanders Abigaillein. crowd and, Nabucco,alone with tricks him into sign warrant forIsraelites. the captive asks He what wi Fenena,and Abigaillereplies that mustshe too die Nabuccofind tries histo in garments the document Abigaille’s ancestry, she produces andit it tears pleads forin vain Fenena’s life questo mio crin canuto / whatOh, oldshamemust my suffer). Along the banksEuphrates, of the the Israelites re labor, their thoughts to turning their homeland. ( sull'ali thought, dorate / Fly on goldenwings predicts overcome theythat will and captivity obli God’swith help. Part IV BROKEN THE IDOL Nabucco’s apartments royal himselfnot only their but king their god I am Ino am longer King! God!). thunderbolt strikes down. him Abigaille, triumphant crown for herself. Part III THE PROPHECY The Hanging Gardens of Babyl herself towhen,astonishment the of all, Nabucco a snatchesfrom the facescrown her, the crowd and de (Va! La(Va! palma del martiriowin / Go, of ma the palm Fenena prays to be into received heaven when Nabucc and the stops sacrifice. Abigaille,full of remorse dies, confessing her crimesand topraying god the pardon her. Nabuccoannounces his conversion frand Israelites, them telling to return totheir native their temple. andIsraelites Babylonians inunite p

bass tenor

mezzo soprano y aty the

but the vengeance

a and n, hasfounda Ismaele entersIsmaele

heart to

[nah-BOO-kkoh] [nah-BOO-kkoh] [ah-bee-gah-EEL-leh] [ah-bee-gah-EEL-leh] [dzahk-kah-REE-ah] [dzahk-kah-REE-ah] Characters [eez-mah-EH-leh] [eez-mah-EH-leh] [ahb-DAHL-loh] [fey-NAY-nah] [AHN-nah] na has freedna has the Israelite ables of the law]). Nephew ofKing theofJerusalem Nabucco King of Babylon Abigaille A slave, presumed to be Nabucco’s elder daughter Zaccaria High priest of the Hebrews Ismaele Fenena Nabucco’sdaughter High Priest Anna Zaccaria's sister Abdallo Babylonian– soldier an oldofficerof Nabucco OtherRoles BabylonianSoldiers, Hebrew Soldiers,Levites, Hebrew Virgins, BabylonianVirgins, Babylonian Ladies,Magi, Babylonian Rulers, Slaves y y eir the butannounces Zaccaria thatbeen he has e ofe h his nverted Fenena. An officer rushes towarn in

r. o proclaimAbigaille ruler. She is about to crown tion to persuade the Babylonians toup give their in love ll ll ger. Before she can escape, the High Priest of uised he will he will with with h back e thronee to Abigaille andproposes to spread the As the . Ismaele (Gli arredi

(Salgo già(Salgo del trono ascend aurato / I already the The Israelites are forpraying help against Nabucco (Nebuchadnezzar), king of Babylon, who Nabucco has appointed Fenena regent while he is awa wars. Abigaille,wars. back the in palaceroyal Babylo in document she thatsaying is not daughterthe king’s child of Foreseeing slaves. futurea which Fenen in Ismaele rule together will over Babylon, she swears Synopsis (D'Egitto là su lidi / i On the (Anch'io (Anch'io dischiuso un giorno / I too once opened my Zaccaria, their high priest,

Nabucco ThePriest High ofBaal arrives with news that Fene (Vieni, o /Levita Come,[Bring me oh Levite! the t (Viva Nabucco(Viva / Long Nabucco) live Nabucco ordersdestruction the of the temple. Part II IMPIOUS THE ONE disarmspriest the delivers andFenena toherfathe prisoners. aAs result ofher treason, thhe offers rumor that fallenNabucco has battle in [bloodstained] seat the golden of throne). Elsewhere in the palace, Zaccaria prays for inspira false idols festivi giùfestivi cadano infranti / Throw destroand down all festive decorations). enters Nabucco’swith daughter, Fenena, whomthe Hebrews hold hostage. He reassures his people that Lord notforsake will them shores He saved of theEgypt life of Moses). Israelites Ismaele,leave, of nephew the king of , is left Fenena.alone with The felltwo during Ismaele’s imprisonment in Babylon. Fenena helped him escape followedand him to Jerusalem.Th conversation is interrupted theby appearancsudden Fenena’s half-sister, Abigaille, andadisg band of Babylonian soldiers. Abigaille, who is also in love Ismaele, himtells shethat can savepeople his if return her love, refuses.but he TheIsraelites rus intoWhen the temple panic.a in Nabucco wit enters warriors, Zaccaria confronts him, threatening to ki Fenena on Nabuccoand Fenena Setting: Jerusalem and Babylon, 6th century B.C.E. century 6th Babylon, and Setting:Jerusalem Part I JERUSALEM The Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem has attacked them is vandalizing theand city Nabucco’sBabylonin palace happiness). andthe assembled Levites accuse him of treachery, pardonedfor fellow Israelite—the asaving co newly Fenena thethat king is dead heranddan life is in Abigaille with arrives andtheBabylonians, wh Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I shall shall I Lord, the Behold, Thus saith the the of into city hand deliver this burn it will and Kinghe Babylon, of fire. (Jeremiah 21:10) with Behold, the whirlwind of Lord the whirlwind Behold, the fallthe upon shall forth, itgoeth (Jeremiah 30:23) wicked head the of