VERDI – NABUCCO
Nicola Luisotti – Daniele Abbado – Teatro alla Scala

The Vox Imago Series dedicates the eleventh edition to Nabucco, the opera that established Giuseppe Verdi on the international theatrical scene. The premiere was held at La Scala in Milan in 1842 and was an extraordinary success. Thus, the project proposes to analyse the masterpiece on its several levels.

The documentary by Roberto San Pietro and Elvio Annese allows us to consider Verdi’s masterpiece from the point of view of the Risorgimento, with particular attention to its great choral pieces. On the other hand, the short film by Andrea Franceschini focuses on another theme central to Nabucco: conversion.

Many essays can be found inside the edition: besides the listening guide by Philip Gossett, essays on the opera’s genesis, the vocality of the work and the tradition of the biblical opera, an exploration of Verdi’s relationship with 1840s Milan, an analysis of the “exotic” themes in productions of the period, writings on key figures such as Temistocle Solera and Antonio Ghislanzoni. In addition, the literary sources that inspired Solera: Nabuchodonosor by Anicet-Bourgeois and Cornu, and Nabuccodonosor by Cortesi. The educational project linked to the series continues with the guide by Carlo Delfrati, designed for the secondary school.

Teatro alla Scala proposes a new production of Verdi’s work, Nabucco. Conductor Nicola Luisotti, director Daniele Abbado, starring Leo Nucci.