Babylonian king Nabucco invades and robs the Jewish population, subjecting them to slavery and forced labour. Power intoxicates and deludes him. It makes the king play god. Meanwhile, the bitter Abigaille, one of the strongest female roles in the operatic repertoire, awaits her own moment of revenge and plots against the young lovers Ismaele and Fenena.
Even though the story of Nabucco is historic and has its roots in the bible, it is still modern. Director Rodula Gaitanou and designer takis depict the story with freshness, while preserving its epic scale and adding in climate change as one of today’s greatest challenges for humankind, which fits seamlessly into Verdi’s opera.
With its grand choir scenes including opera’s undoubtedly most famous choir “Va, pensiero”, the monumental stage design and the heart-wrenching fate of the opera’s protagonists, Nabucco returns to Olavinlinna after it’s celebrated and highly acclaimed premiere in 2024 with world-class soprano Marigona Qerkezi as Abigaille.