Verdi’s opera Nabucco is based on historical and biblical accounts from 2 Kings, Jeremiah, Lamentations, and Daniel, telling the story of the Jewish people as they are attacked, conquered, and exiled from their homeland by the Babylonian king Nabucco (Nebuchadnezzar II). This was Verdi’s third opera, written during a period of deep personal tragedy following the death of his first wife. Grieving and disillusioned, he initially vowed never to compose again. However, after a slow and arduous creative process, he completed Nabucco in 1841, and it premiered at La Scala in Milan.

In the overture, Verdi presents the opera’s main themes. Nabucco took audiences by surprise, showcasing a melodic richness and choral intensity that Milanese listeners had never encountered before. The work was immediately recognized as the ideal model of a tragic musical drama. Many years later, Verdi recalled the impact of Nabucco's most famous choral moment, Va, pensiero (Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves), with great emotion:

“Ah! The people have always been my best friends, from the very beginning. It was a handful of carpenters who gave me my first real assurance of success.”
– Crowest: Verdi, Man and Musician, London, 1897

Verdi recounted how, during rehearsals, workmen making alterations to the theater paused to listen:

“When the chorus began to sing Va, pensiero, the theater was as still as a church. The men had stopped working, one by one, and there they sat, listening!”
– ibid.

Program notes by Juan Domínguez