Nabucco
also Nabucodonosor
opera · dramma lirico in quattro parti
Composer Giuseppe Verdi
Librettist Temistocle Solera
Synopsis
Nebuchadnezzar's army is advancing on Jerusalem, where the high priest Zaccaria holds the king's younger daughter Fenena hostage. Fenena and Ismaele, nephew of the King of Jerusalem, fell in love when he was a prisoner in Babylon. Abigaille, raised as Nebuchadnezzar's elder daughter, loves Ismaele too, and offers the Hebrews her protection in return for his love.
Key facts
- Premiere
- 9 March 1842, Teatro alla Scala, Milan
- Acts
- 4
- Language
- Italian (it)
- Setting
- Jerusalem and Babylon, in 587 BC.
Dramatis personae
| Role | Voice | Created by |
|---|---|---|
| Nabucodonosor King of Babylon. | baritone | Giorgio Ronconi |
| Ismaele Nephew of Sedecia, King of Jerusalem. | tenor | Corrado Miraglia |
| Zaccaria High Priest of the Hebrews. | bass | Prosper Dérivis |
| Abigaille A slave, believed to be Nabucodonosor's elder daughter. | soprano | Giuseppina Strepponi |
| Fenena Nabucodonosor's daughter. | mezzo-soprano | Giovannina Bellinzaghi |
| Il Gran Sacerdote di Belo High Priest of Baal. | bass | Gaetano Rossi |
| Abdallo An elderly officer in the King of Babylon's service. | tenor | Napoleone Marconi |
| Anna Zaccaria's sister. | soprano | Teresa Ruggeri |
Source
- Nabuchodonosor by Auguste Anicet-Bourgeois, Francis Cornu (1836)
Written from
- Budden, J. (1978) The operas of Verdi. Volume 1: From Oberto to Rigoletto. New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 89-112.
- Wikipedia (2026) Nabucco. (Accessed: 28 September 2026). The English article.
- Libretti d'opera (n.d.) Nabucco. (Accessed: 28 September 2026).
- Wikipedia (2026) Nabucco. (Accessed: 28 September 2026). The Italian article.