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Soloists:

Leo Nucci, Maria Guleghina, Miroslav Dvorský

Orchestra, choir:

Vienna State Opera Choir and Orchestra

Conductor:

Fabio Luisi

Director:

Günter Krämer
 

After personal tragedies and the fiasco of his last opera, Un giorno di regno, Verdi wanted to give up composing for good. Fortunately, he made one more attempt: Nabucco. His first real success, his first genuine “Verdi opera,” was born. Nabucco—a complex story about the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar, who proclaims himself a god and consequently descends into madness—remains a hit with audiences. Renowned director Günter Krämer paid particular attention to the human relationships in the opera and emphasized the king's loss of power, torn apart by conflicts, as the core of the story. His Nabucco is the tragedy of a mighty ruler. Compared to countless lavish productions of Nabucco, he focused on beautiful images and depth, shifting the focus to the characters by staging the opera on an almost empty stage. Leo Nucci, a baritone known in all the world's major opera houses, plays Nabucco. After seeing him at the Vienna State Opera, a critic wrote of his "fascinating tone" and "intense and credible acting." Maria Guleghina, who plays Abigaille, is one of the world's most famous and respected sopranos. She has been described as "a Russian soprano with Verdi flowing through her veins." Supported by well-known actors (Marina Domashenko, Miroslav Dvorský, Giacomo Prestia), this Nabucco is a must-see for opera lovers.