Nabucco
Composer: Giuseppe Verdi Librettist: Temistocle Solera
“My career really began with “Nabucco.””
So stated Giuseppe Verdi after composing it — his third opera. “Nabucco” was considered to be a masterpiece as well as the first patriotic opera of its time. While La Scala only planned on eight performances for its premiere, they went on to present it 57 times in just three months due to its roaring reception (which is still the record). Among the many recognizable arias and duets throughout Verdi’s operas, this one, set in Jerusalem and Babylon in the 500s BC, holds what might be the most famous chorus tune ever written (“Va, pensiero”). The piece later became an important Italian anthem.
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