Nabucco Overture (1841)

Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)

Nabucco was Verdi’s first successful opera. It is based on the biblical story of Jewish captivity in Babylon and the king Nebuchadnezzar. The overture starts with a solemn brass chorale that leads, via a frenetic Allegro passage, to the theme of the famous Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves. This music represents the Jews on the banks of the Euphrates, longing for a return to their homeland. The intensity of the music steadily grows towards a rousing conclusion.

Performed:  March 2021