Dutch National Opera presents

Nabucco GIUSEPPE VERDI (1813-1901)

Mon 27 Jan 20:00 hours
Thu 30 Jan 20:00 hours
Sun 02 Feb 14:00 hours
Wed 05 Feb 20:00 hours
Sun 09 Feb 14:00 hours
Wed 12 Feb 20:00 hours
Sun 16 Feb 14:00 hours
Wed 19 Feb 20:00 hours
Sat 22 Feb 20:00 hours
Tickets sold

VA PENSIERO

Duration 2:40

Breaks 1

By Verdi

Language Italian

Surtitles Dutch and English

Nabucco is a biblical drama in both narrative and scale and was the young Verdi’s breakthrough composition. Perhaps best known for the beautiful chorus of the slaves, this is the first time this beloved opera is being mounted at Dutch National Opera & Ballet.

 

Nabucco
Foto's: Martin Walz
Nabucco
Nabucco
Nabucco
Nabucco

Slave chorus

‘Va pensiero’, the slave chorus in which the Israelites lament the loss of their homeland and Babylonian exile, is a song almost everyone knows. In Verdi’s time this was a sentiment to which fellow Italians could relate. To this day, the beloved melody from Nabucco is Italy’s unofficial second national anthem.

Plot of Nabucco

Nabucco tells the story of the persecution of the Jews by the king of Babylon. In a fit of madness, Nabucco commands that he be worshipped as God, and is instantly struck down by lightning. His power-hungry eldest daughter Abigaille seizes the throne. But just when all appears lost, Nabucco regains his sanity.

Verdi’s pioneering style

The prominence of the chorus in Nabucco, spirited rhythms and perfect dramatic timing are all typical of Verdi’s pioneering style.

Team and cast of Nabucco

Having conducted Il trovatore and Il barbiere di Siviglia at DNO, Maurizio Benini returns once more to lead the Residentie Orkest. Andreas Homoki is back for his sixth time at DNO, after directing Carmen (1999), Capriccio (2000), Lulu (2002) and Die Frau ohne Schatten (2008). Nabucco and Zaccaria are formidable baritone and bass roles sung by George Petean and Dmitry Belosselskiy, respectively. Soprano Anna Pirozzi brings her powerful low range and acting talent to the rewarding role of Abigaille. All three are appearing at DNO for the first time.

Leading role for the Chorus of Dutch National Opera

The chorus features prominently in Nabucco and is one of the opera’s main protagonists.

The Chorus of Dutch National Opera pairs unsurpassed vocal quality with a wealth of stage experience. Among its many highlights are Boris Godunov, Les Troyens, Parsifal, Guillaume Tell, Gurre-Lieder, La forza del destino, Das Floss der Medusa and Oedipe. Ching-Lien Wu is the artistic director. The DNO Chorus was named the Best Opera Chorus of 2016 by Opernwelt magazine.

Coproduction: Opernhaus Zürich with Teatro Real, Madrid

Andreas Homoki

Director

The German director Andreas Homoki studied at the Hochschule der Künste in Berlin. In 1992 he made his international breakthrough with his directing of Die Frau ohne Schatten in Geneva, which was later also shown in the Paris Théâtre du Châtelet and in Barcelona, and which was awarded with the Prize of French Criticism in 1994.

Maurizio Benini

Musical director

MAURIZIO BENINI (musical director) has been principal conductor with Filarmonica del Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Wexford Festival Opera and Teatro Municipal de Santiago de Chile and a regular guest conductor with Teatro di San Carlo in Napels.

Nabucco
'Dramma lirico' in 4 acts
Libretto
Temistocle Solera
World premiere
9 March 1842 Teatro alla Scala Milaan

Team, Cast and Chorus

Musical Director
Maurizio Benini
Stage Director
Andreas Homoki
Set Designer
Wolfgang Gussmann
Costume Designers
Wolfgang Gussmann
Susana Mendoza
Lighting Designer
Franck Evin
Dramaturgy
Fabio Dietsche
Orchestra
Residentie Orkest
Chorus
Koor van De Nationale Opera
Chorus Master
Ching-Lien Wu
Nabucco
George Petean
Ismaele
Freddie De Tommaso
Zaccaria
Dmitry Belosselskiy
Abigaille
Anna Pirozzi
Fenena
Alisa Kolosova
Il Gran Sacerdote di Belo
Emanuele Cordaro
Abdallo
Lucas van Lierop - Dutch National Opera Studio
Anna
Verity Wingate - Dutch National Opera Studio

Orchestra

Residentie Orkest

With a history going back more than 100 years, the Residentie Orkest is one of the Netherlands' great symphony orchestras. Pending the completion of the new cultural centre in The Hague, the orchestra primarily plays at the Zuiderstrandtheater (in Scheveningen), but also at the pop venue Paard and on premier stages in the Netherlands and abroad. The orchestra is led by its young British chief conductor and artistic adviser, Nicholas Collon. Recent DNO productions include: The Gambler, Dialogues des Carmélites, The New Prince and La bohème. In the 2018-2019 season the Residentie Orkest is accompanying Madama Butterfly, and in 2020 Nabucco.

 

Chorus

Chorus of Dutch National Opera
Dutch National Opera's own chorus consists of 50 singers, regularly augmented with freelance members for large productions. The Chorus has an impressive record with milestones including opera productions of Saint Francois d’Assise, Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District, Ercole amante, Boris Godoenov, La Juive, Les Troyens, Eugene Onegin, Parsifal, Guillaume Tell, The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh, Faust, La forza del destino, Das Flos der Medusa, Oedipe and Tannhauser, and concerts of Der fliegende Hollander in Rotterdam, Paris and Dortmund and Daphnis et Chloe with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra conducted by Valery Gergiev. Under the artistic direction of Ching-Lien Wu since 1 September 2014, in 2016 the authoritative Opernwelt magazine named the DNO Chorus the Best Opera Chorus of the year. In the 2019-2020 season the Chorus is singing in Pagliacci |Cavalleria rusticana, Così fan tutte, La Cenerentola, Nabucco, Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny, Die Frau ohne Schatten, Carmen and Rusalka.

 

FOYER evening

13 January 2020 - Nabucco

Musical evening giving an accessible, in-depth explanation of operas and ballets.

NB: In principle, the foyer evenings are given in Dutch, but in practice the high number of international guests means that English is often spoken as well.

IN SHORT
Step into the world of the makers. Sit back with a drink in an informal setting and enjoy an aria or duet, a pas de deux or small ensemble, or an interview with a singer or choreographer. A varied programme, linked to a topical theme, is presented for each production.

ADMISSION

The doors and the bar open at 20.00. The evening begins at 20.30 and lasts around an hour and a quarter. The bar will stay open afterwards.

Regular - € 10
Students - € 7.50

Free for Giving Circle members of Dutch National Opera, Dutch National Ballet and Dutch National Opera & Ballet

Prices are exclusive of booking charges. Tickets for performances can be purchased separately

    Tue 29 Jan Operatoday.com over Homoki - Die Frau Ohne Schatten, 2008

    “[…] well… let me just ask, when was the last time you heard a production teamed cheered to the rafters? Really and truly cheered? That it happened here was in response to the creation of a beautifully contemporary and conscientious, not “self-conscious”, work of art by director Andreas Homoki […].”

    Thu 14 Feb Andreas Homoki - Noordhollands Dagblad about Die Frau Ohne Schatten (2008)

    ‘Director Andreas Homoki perfectly balances fairy tale and realism.’