NabuccoGiuseppe Verdi

Nabucco (1842)

Listen here Va pensiero sull’ali dorate

Nabucco,  King of Babylon rises to power in 605 BC. He is determined to restore Babylon, making it one of the seven wonders of the world. And he wages war against the Jews who are put to work as slaves on the famous hanging gardens.

The opera follows the plight of the Jews as they are assaulted and subsequently exiled from their homeland by the Babylonian King Nabucco (in English, Nebuchadnezzar) after the loss of the First Temple in Jerusalem.

Its first performance took place on 9 March 1842 at the Teatro alla Scala, Milan.

The best-known number from the opera is the “Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves”, Va, pensiero, sull’ali dorate  (Fly, thought, on golden wings), with words by Temistocle Solera, inspired by Psalm 137, a chorus which is regularly given an encore when performed today.

Verdi commented that, “this is the opera with which my artistic career really begins. And though I had many difficulties to fight against, it is certain that Nabucco was born under a lucky star”. The opera was an instant success, dominating Donizetti’s and Giovanni Pacini’s operas playing nearby. While the public went mad with enthusiasm, the critics tempered their approval of the opera.

The opera with its powerful chorus established Verdi as a major composer in 19th century Italy and  secured Verdi’s success until his retirement from the theatre, twenty-nine operas later. (Wikipedia, Metropolitan Opera New York)