Inspired by the Old Testament, Nabucco (or Nebuchadnezzar) is the story of the destruction of Jerusalem and the plight of the Hebrew slaves during the Babylonian captivity. Passion, romance and political intrigue mark Giuseppe Verdi’s first overwhelming success, in which a king goes mad, a princess is redeemed, and an entire nation bows before the mighty God of Abraham. This James Robinson production has been conceived and designed by renowned Texas artists Frances Bagley and Tom Orr. Our most requested opera comes to the stage at last! Click here to learn more.

Where have I heard THAT before? In the case of the famous choral anthem “Va pensiero,” you’ve heard it in quite a few movies in recent years, among them: The Color of Money (1986), Godfather III (1990), Tango (1993), Donnie Brasco (1997) and The Secret Lives of Dentists (2002), as well as in ads for British Airways.

Recommended Listening: Jonathan Pell suggests Verdi: NABUCCO – Matteo Manuguerra, Renata Scotto, Veriano Luchetti; Riccardo Muti on EMI Classics # 47488 (Recorded in 1978).

Recommended Reading: “Verdi: His Music, Life and Times” by George Martin. A 633-page tome that reads like a thriller!

Conversation Starter: “Va pensiero” is the only encore conductor James Levine will allow at the Metropolitan Opera. There was an encore during the 1842 premiere of Nabucco, despite a police prohibition against musical repetitions that could start a riot, and it’s nearly as commonplace today as a seventh-inning stretch.