Film

Met Opera in HD

Nabucco

Giuseppe Verdi

January 06, 2024

This event occurred as part of the 23/24 Art On Screen season. This is an archived view.

Ancient Babylon comes to life in a classic staging of biblical proportions.

Met Opera in HD: Nabucco Trailer

Baritone George Gagnidze makes his Met role debut as the imperious king Nabucco, alongside Ukrainian soprano Liudmyla Monastyrska reprising her thrilling turn as his vengeful daughter Abigaille. Mezzo-soprano Maria Barakova and tenor SeokJong Baek, in his company debut, are Fenena and Ismaele, and bass Dmitry Belosselskiy repeats his celebrated portrayal of the high priest Zaccaria. Daniele Callegari conducts Verdi's early masterpiece, which features the ultimate showcase for the great Met Chorus, the moving "Va, pensiero."

Learn more about the performance >

The Program

The Hop Presents

The Metropolitan Opera HD LIVE
Nabucco
Giuseppe Verdi

Saturday, January 6, 1 pm
Loew Auditorium • Dartmouth College • 2024

Duration: 3 hours, 5 minutes including intermission

Free tickets for Dartmouth students to attend The Met: Live in HD are supported by a gift from Cynthia and Jeffrey Manocherian P’15, ’18

The Met: Live in HD series is made possible by a generous grant from its founding sponsor: The Neubauer Family Foundation

Global corporate sponsorship of The Met: Live in HD is provided by Bloomberg Philanthropies

The HD broadcasts are supported by Toll Brothers

Cast

(Cast in order of vocal appearance)
Abigaille………Liudmyla Monastyrska
Fenena………Maria Barakova
Ismaele………SeokJong Baek
Nabucco………George Gagnidze
Zaccaria………Dmitry Belosselskiy

Conductor………Daniele Callegari
Production………Elijah Moshinsky
Set Designer………John Napier
Costume Designer………Andreane Neofitou
Lighting Designer………Howard Harrison
Live in HD Director………Habib Azar
Live in HD Host………Angel Blue

Synopsis

ACT I
Jerusalem, 6th century B.C. The Israelites are praying for help against Nabucco (Nebuchadnezzar), king of Babylon, who has attacked them and is vandalizing the city. Zaccaria, their high priest, appears with Nabucco’s daughter, Fenena, whom the Hebrews hold hostage. He reassures his people that the Lord will not forsake them. As the Israelites leave, Ismaele, nephew of the King of Jerusalem, is left alone with Fenena. The two fell in love during Ismaele’s imprisonment in Babylon and Fenena helped him escape and followed him to Jerusalem. Their conversation is interrupted by the sudden appearance of Fenena’s half-sister, Abigaille and a band of disguised Babylonian soldiers. Abigaille, who is also in love with Ismaele, tells him that she can save his people if he will return her love, but he refuses. The Israelites rush back into the temple in a panic. When Nabucco enters with his warriors, Zaccaria confronts him, threatening to kill Fenena. Ismaele disarms the priest and delivers Fenena to her father. Nabucco orders the destruction of the temple.

ACT II
Nabucco has appointed Fenena regent while he is away at the wars. Abigaille, back in the royal palace in Babylon, has found a document saying that she is not the king’s daughter but the child of slaves. Foreseeing a future in which Fenena and Ismaele will rule together over Babylon, she swears vengeance on Nabucco and Fenena. The High Priest of Baal arrives with news that Fenena has freed the Israelite prisoners. As a result of her treason, he offers the throne to Abigaille and proposes to spread the rumor that Nabucco has fallen in battle.

Elsewhere in the palace, Zaccaria prays for inspiration to persuade the Babylonians to give up their false idols. Ismaele enters and the assembled Levites accuse him of treachery, but Zaccaria announces that he has been pardoned for saving a fellow Israelite—the newly converted Fenena. An officer rushes in to warn Fenena that the king is dead and her life is in danger. Before she can escape, the High Priest of Baal arrives with Abigaille and the Babylonians, who proclaim Abigaille ruler. She is about to crown herself when, to the astonishment of all, Nabucco appears. He snatches the crown from her, faces the crowd and declares himself not only their king but their god. For this blasphemy, a thunderbolt strikes him down. Abigaille, triumphant, retrieves the crown for herself.

Intermission (35 Minutes)

ACT III
The Babylonians hail Abigaille as their ruler. The High Priest urges her to have the Israelites killed, but before she can give the order, the disheveled Nabucco wanders in. Abigaille dismisses the crowd and, alone with Nabucco, tricks him into signing the death warrant for the captive Israelites. He asks what will happen to Fenena and Abigaille replies that she too must die. When Nabucco tries to find in his garments the document proving Abigaille’s ancestry, she produces it and tears it to pieces. He pleads in vain for Fenena’s life.

Along the banks of the Euphrates, the Israelites rest from forced labor, their thoughts turning to their homeland. Zaccaria predicts they will overcome captivity and obliterate Babylon with the help of God.

ACT IV
From a window in his apartment, where he has been locked up by Abigaille, Nabucco watches Fenena and the Israelites being led to execution. Desperate, he prays to the god of Israel for forgiveness, pledging to convert himself and his people. His sanity restored, he forces open the door and summons his soldiers to regain the throne and save his daughter.

The Israelites are about to be executed. Fenena prays to be received into heaven when Nabucco rushes in and stops the sacrifice. Abigaille, full of remorse, takes poison and dies, confessing her crimes and praying to the god of Israel to pardon her. Nabucco announces his conversion and frees the Israelites, telling them to return to their native land and rebuild their temple. Israelites and Babylonians are united in praising God.

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