Nabucco
Premiere performances: 15 and 17 February 2024 at the State Opera
Basic information
The State Opera
Approximate running time2 hours 30 minutes, 1 intermission (20 minutes) minutes
LanguageIn Italian, surtitles in Czech, English
PremiereFebruary 15, 2024
Phenomenal chorus scenes, extremely impassioned virtuoso arias, as well as the perennially topical themes of expansive war, lust for power, betrayal, life and death, are the reasons why it has always been a staple of opera houses’ repertoire.
Cast
- 2024-2025
Creatives
About
State Opera Chorus
State Opera Orchestra
National Theatre Opera Ballet
Pupils of the Olga Kyndlová Ballet School
The opera Nabucco, depicting the dramatic story of the subjugation of the Israelites by the King of Babylon, ranks among Guiseppe Verdi’s most celebrated works. Phenomenal chorus scenes, extremely impassioned virtuoso arias, as well as the perennially topical themes of expansive war, lust for power, betrayal, life and death, are the reasons why it has always been a staple of opera houses’ repertoire.
The title hero is based on the historical figure of King Nebuchadnezzar II. The opera starts with a true event, the destruction of the Temple of Solomon in 587 BC. Yet the following conversion of Nabucco (Nebuchadnezzar) to Judaism and the setting the Hebrews free from captivity in Babylon are the librettist’s fictional creations, as are the complicated relationships within the royal family, and the strife between Nabucco’s two stepdaughters, striving to win the love of the same man and gain the throne. Loosely blending true historical facts, a biblical legend and imagination, the libretto made it possible for Verdi to bring to bear fully for the first time his immense musical virtues. The colossal triumph of Nabucco, his third opera, at the world premiere at La Scala in Milan in 1842 opened for the 28-year-old composer the path to fame. The opera’s best-known number, the chorus “Va, pensiero, sull‘ali dorate” (“Fly, thought, on wings of gold”), expresses the Hebrew exiles’ hope for freedom.
In Verdi’s time, however, it became a symbol of the Italian patriots’ resistance to Austrian supremacy, an unofficial anthem of the endeavour for a unified Italy free from foreign control; and the chorus has retained its political meaning up to the present day. Just as Verdi’s librettist drew inspiration from the Bible, particularly Psalm 137, biblical symbolism is foregrounded by the stage director Tomáš Ondřej Pilař in his conception of Nabucco’s new State Opera production.
A co-production with the Slovak National Theatre.
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Practical information
Where to buy tickets
The National Theatre sells tickets up to 6 months in advance. We are currently selling tickets for performances of Drama, Ballet, Opera and Laterna magika taking place in December 2024 – May 2025.
When purchasing online, you can get an e-ticket. You can pick up printed tickets in person at the box offices of the National Theatre.
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By their appearance, attire and behaviour, the audience is obliged to adhere to the accustomed practice expected from them when attending a theatre performance.
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