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Nabucco

Giuseppe Verdi

DURATION:

2 hours 30 minutes (including an intermission)

ACT ONE

The first picture

The troops of the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II (Nabucco) besieged Jerusalem. Residents of the city gather in Solomon's temple. They pray to God to protect them. The high priest of the Jews, Zechariah, reports that he managed to capture the daughter of the Babylonian king Fenena, and she will be the guarantee of peace between the Assyrians and the Jews.

The Israeli commander Ishmael informs about the approach of the Babylonian army. Zacharia instructs him to guard Fenena. They remain alone. It turns out that at one time the girl, taking a risk, freed Ishmael from captivity in Babylon. He fell in love and, keeping tender feelings, hopes to save her. Suddenly, Abigail, the eldest daughter of Nabucco, bursts into the temple, accompanied by a detachment of Babylonian soldiers dressed in Jewish clothing.

Suffering from unrequited love for Ishmael, she offers to save the Jewish people in exchange for his love for her. Ishmael does not accept her conditions - he has no power over his heart. Hoping to save Ishmael, Fenena appeals to the Jewish God, thus siding with the Jews.

Nabucco bursts into the temple crowded with Jews led by Zacharias and his sister Anna. The high priest tries to stop the warlike king by threatening his daughter with death. Ishmael unexpectedly fires Fenena. Nabucco's hands are loose. He orders Jerusalem to be sacked and burned. Zechariah curses Ishmael for his betrayal and calls everyone to despise him. The temple was destroyed. Thousands of Jews fell into slavery and were sent to Babylon.

The second picture

Nabucco Palace in Babylon. During his absence, the king transferred his powers to Fenena. Abigail steals a compromising document from her father - her mother was a slave, and therefore only Fenena can become the heir to the throne. She is forced to endure the primacy of her sister and watch someone else's love, which she hates. Abigail is ready to take revenge for the offended ambition, risking her own life and even the well-being of the kingdom.

The High Priest of Babylon appears and informs that Fenena is secretly freeing the captive Jews. He promises Abigail his support and offers to take the throne, spreading rumors about the death of Nabucco. Zechariah prays to God to stop the Assyrians, after which his name will be glorified in all temples.

Ishmael comes to the Levites, but they refuse to accept the traitor. Anna and Zacharia stand in his defense. They report that Fenena, whom he saved, is on the side of the Jews and helps them in every way.

Fenena appears. Abdallo offers her to run away, as the news of the king's death has arrived, and the Babylonians have sided with Abigail. She refuses and goes to meet the rebels. Abigail demands to give her the crown, and at that moment Nabucco appears. Excited by the victories, the Babylonian king proclaims himself a god. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning knocks the crown off his head and he loses his mind. Triumphant, Abigail raises the crown. Her dream came true - now she is the ruler of Babylon.

ACT TWO

The third picture

Abigail sits on the throne. The people glorify Babylon. The high priest of the cult of the Assyrian god Bel recognizes Abigail as the ruler of Assyria and sentences Feneni as a traitor - she must die. Nabucco appears. Abigail forces her insane father to sign an order for the execution of captured Jews. In a moment, the king's mind returns - his order also applies to Fenena, because she sided with the Jews. He realizes with horror what has happened. Nabucco tries to find a document that proves Abigail's slave origin, but she gets it and tears it to pieces. On her order, Nabucco is imprisoned.

On the banks of the Euphrates, Jews pray in the hope of reviving their lost homeland. Zechariah prophesies better times for his people - very soon not a single stone will be left from Babylon.

Picture four

A madman removed from power, Nabucco is haunted by disturbing visions. In a moment of enlightenment, he realizes that he is unable to save his own daughter. In desperation, he offers a prayer to the God of the Jews, promising to accept his faith, and his mind returns to him again. Miraculously, the locked door opens, the military leader Abdullah and his loyal troops are ready to serve their king. Nabucco rushes to save his daughter from death.

Fenena courageously goes to the execution. Nabucco appears with his soldiers. Before the eyes of the astonished Babylonians, the statue of the Assyrian Bel falls and breaks. Nabucco frees the captive Jews and declares the Jewish god to be true. Abigail drinks poison and asks the Jewish god for forgiveness for her actions. Zechariah announces to Nabucco that by accepting the faith of Yahweh, he will be the King of Kings.

Opera in 4 acts
(performed with one intermission)
Libretto by Themistocles Soler

Nabucco - as a warning of a world tragedy...

Almost every day in Google in the "Science" section, we are warned about the approach of dangerous asteroids to the Earth...

Scientists are looking for extraterrestrial life on the nearest planets...

Giuseppe Verdi in 1841 in the opera "Nabucco" conveys to contemporaries and future generations the anxiety and worries for the earthly Temple before the horrors of the future, feeling the tremors that gripped Europe even then, before 1848...

The "Maestro of the Revolution", in addition to innovation in the opera genre, was able to recreate space and time in a spiral image in the music itself.

Events of the 6th century BC are understood and experienced by us at the level of new intellectual and emotional awareness. Verdi connects the past and the present in one chain, and his power of thought is manifested in today's time by new challenges and threats to earthly civilization.

In most cases, the theater responds by staging this opera to the most relevant and dramatic and tragic moments of history.

"Nabucco", as a genius-mystical work that appeared at the intersection of an era, time, style, is not always popular in calm times, its mission in a time of the highest tension and human fear is to be a symbol of the restoration of hope and justice, thus it affirms us in the future.

Maybe that's why, in our restless existence, the idea of staging Giuseppe Verdi's Nabucco at the Odessa National Opera arises.

Today, when the world held its breath in anticipation of some universal tragedy...

The temple - the Earth becomes defenseless both from the will of the Creator and from the will of humanity itself.

Earth is a poppy seed in space, it is constantly under threat of collision with extraterrestrial asteroids. That is why stage designer Tadei Ryndzak in the design of the play depicted the faces of those who guarded and prayed for the earthly Temple engraved in ancient Hebrew with phrases from the Torah on the stones falling from the sky.

The army of Nabucco - the king of Babylon Nebuchadnezzar II looks like a modern spiritless monster that is ready, being zombified by the power, to erase the holy Temple from the face of the earth. It represents evil, the essence of which is death.

High Priest Zacharias, in front of such a terrible enemy attack, tries to instill hope in his people, to save the Temple, calling out to the Most High for salvation.

It is no longer peoples, their cultures, or worldviews that are opposed here, but two ideologically hostile world powers are extremely clearly distinguished here...

The fates of all the main characters of the work are dramatic in their own way. However, in Nabucco it is one of the most tragic. A pretentiously flawed individual, endowed with unlimited power, possessing a large state, the world's most powerful army, technical weapons, ceases to realize his human purpose, the limits of his human capabilities.

Then the Almighty deprives him of his common sense at the highest peak of glory. Reason leaves the king, he becomes a blank sheet of paper again, but God does not deprive him of love... love for his daughter Fenene...

It is with love that Nabucco calls out to the God of the Jews, asking for the salvation of his loving daughter and lovingly acknowledging the power of the Creator over himself and the world.

The temple will be saved by his love...

The Earthly Temple will be saved by human repentance...

Vasyl Vovkun

People's Artist of Ukraine

Director-producer

Nabucco

Giuseppe Verdi

DURATION:

2 hours 30 minutes (including an intermission)

ACT ONE

The first picture

The troops of the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II (Nabucco) besieged Jerusalem. Residents of the city gather in Solomon's temple. They pray to God to protect them. The high priest of the Jews, Zechariah, reports that he managed to capture the daughter of the Babylonian king Fenena, and she will be the guarantee of peace between the Assyrians and the Jews.

The Israeli commander Ishmael informs about the approach of the Babylonian army. Zacharia instructs him to guard Fenena. They remain alone. It turns out that at one time the girl, taking a risk, freed Ishmael from captivity in Babylon. He fell in love and, keeping tender feelings, hopes to save her. Suddenly, Abigail, the eldest daughter of Nabucco, bursts into the temple, accompanied by a detachment of Babylonian soldiers dressed in Jewish clothing.

Suffering from unrequited love for Ishmael, she offers to save the Jewish people in exchange for his love for her. Ishmael does not accept her conditions - he has no power over his heart. Hoping to save Ishmael, Fenena appeals to the Jewish God, thus siding with the Jews.

Nabucco bursts into the temple crowded with Jews led by Zacharias and his sister Anna. The high priest tries to stop the warlike king by threatening his daughter with death. Ishmael unexpectedly fires Fenena. Nabucco's hands are loose. He orders Jerusalem to be sacked and burned. Zechariah curses Ishmael for his betrayal and calls everyone to despise him. The temple was destroyed. Thousands of Jews fell into slavery and were sent to Babylon.

The second picture

Nabucco Palace in Babylon. During his absence, the king transferred his powers to Fenena. Abigail steals a compromising document from her father - her mother was a slave, and therefore only Fenena can become the heir to the throne. She is forced to endure the primacy of her sister and watch someone else's love, which she hates. Abigail is ready to take revenge for the offended ambition, risking her own life and even the well-being of the kingdom.

The High Priest of Babylon appears and informs that Fenena is secretly freeing the captive Jews. He promises Abigail his support and offers to take the throne, spreading rumors about the death of Nabucco. Zechariah prays to God to stop the Assyrians, after which his name will be glorified in all temples.

Ishmael comes to the Levites, but they refuse to accept the traitor. Anna and Zacharia stand in his defense. They report that Fenena, whom he saved, is on the side of the Jews and helps them in every way.

Fenena appears. Abdallo offers her to run away, as the news of the king's death has arrived, and the Babylonians have sided with Abigail. She refuses and goes to meet the rebels. Abigail demands to give her the crown, and at that moment Nabucco appears. Excited by the victories, the Babylonian king proclaims himself a god. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning knocks the crown off his head and he loses his mind. Triumphant, Abigail raises the crown. Her dream came true - now she is the ruler of Babylon.

ACT TWO

The third picture

Abigail sits on the throne. The people glorify Babylon. The high priest of the cult of the Assyrian god Bel recognizes Abigail as the ruler of Assyria and sentences Feneni as a traitor - she must die. Nabucco appears. Abigail forces her insane father to sign an order for the execution of captured Jews. In a moment, the king's mind returns - his order also applies to Fenena, because she sided with the Jews. He realizes with horror what has happened. Nabucco tries to find a document that proves Abigail's slave origin, but she gets it and tears it to pieces. On her order, Nabucco is imprisoned.

On the banks of the Euphrates, Jews pray in the hope of reviving their lost homeland. Zechariah prophesies better times for his people - very soon not a single stone will be left from Babylon.

Picture four

A madman removed from power, Nabucco is haunted by disturbing visions. In a moment of enlightenment, he realizes that he is unable to save his own daughter. In desperation, he offers a prayer to the God of the Jews, promising to accept his faith, and his mind returns to him again. Miraculously, the locked door opens, the military leader Abdullah and his loyal troops are ready to serve their king. Nabucco rushes to save his daughter from death.

Fenena courageously goes to the execution. Nabucco appears with his soldiers. Before the eyes of the astonished Babylonians, the statue of the Assyrian Bel falls and breaks. Nabucco frees the captive Jews and declares the Jewish god to be true. Abigail drinks poison and asks the Jewish god for forgiveness for her actions. Zechariah announces to Nabucco that by accepting the faith of Yahweh, he will be the King of Kings.

Opera in 4 acts
(performed with one intermission)
Libretto by Themistocles Soler

Nabucco - as a warning of a world tragedy...

Almost every day in Google in the "Science" section, we are warned about the approach of dangerous asteroids to the Earth...

Scientists are looking for extraterrestrial life on the nearest planets...

Giuseppe Verdi in 1841 in the opera "Nabucco" conveys to contemporaries and future generations the anxiety and worries for the earthly Temple before the horrors of the future, feeling the tremors that gripped Europe even then, before 1848...

The "Maestro of the Revolution", in addition to innovation in the opera genre, was able to recreate space and time in a spiral image in the music itself.

Events of the 6th century BC are understood and experienced by us at the level of new intellectual and emotional awareness. Verdi connects the past and the present in one chain, and his power of thought is manifested in today's time by new challenges and threats to earthly civilization.

In most cases, the theater responds by staging this opera to the most relevant and dramatic and tragic moments of history.

"Nabucco", as a genius-mystical work that appeared at the intersection of an era, time, style, is not always popular in calm times, its mission in a time of the highest tension and human fear is to be a symbol of the restoration of hope and justice, thus it affirms us in the future.

Maybe that's why, in our restless existence, the idea of staging Giuseppe Verdi's Nabucco at the Odessa National Opera arises.

Today, when the world held its breath in anticipation of some universal tragedy...

The temple - the Earth becomes defenseless both from the will of the Creator and from the will of humanity itself.

Earth is a poppy seed in space, it is constantly under threat of collision with extraterrestrial asteroids. That is why stage designer Tadei Ryndzak in the design of the play depicted the faces of those who guarded and prayed for the earthly Temple engraved in ancient Hebrew with phrases from the Torah on the stones falling from the sky.

The army of Nabucco - the king of Babylon Nebuchadnezzar II looks like a modern spiritless monster that is ready, being zombified by power, to wipe the holy Temple off the face of the earth. It represents evil, the essence of which is death.

The high priest Zacharias, in front of such a terrible enemy attack, tries to instill hope in his people, to save the Temple, calling out to the Most High for salvation.

It is no longer peoples, their cultures, or worldviews that are opposed here, here two ideologically hostile world powers are extremely clearly distinguished...

The fates of all the main characters of the work are dramatic in their own way. However, in Nabucco it is one of the most tragic. A pretentiously flawed individual, endowed with unlimited power, possessing a large state, the world's most powerful army, technical weapons, ceases to realize his human purpose, the limits of his human capabilities.

Then the Almighty deprives him of his sanity at the highest peak of glory. Reason leaves the king, he becomes a blank sheet of paper again, but God does not deprive him of love... love for his daughter Fenene...

It is with love that Nabucco calls out to the God of the Jews, asking for the salvation of his loving daughter and lovingly acknowledging the power of the Creator over himself and the world.

The temple will be saved by his love...

The Earthly Temple will be saved by human repentance...

Vasyl Vovkun

People's Artist of Ukraine

Director-producer