It was his first great success, in a sense, his breakthrough: Nabucco. Premiered at Milan’s Scala in the spring of 1842, this work marks the start of the brilliant career of Giuseppe Verdi, who would become the leading Italian opera composer, going virtually unrivalled for decades. Set in biblical times in Jerusalem and Babylon, Nabucco deals with the fates of two peoples and cultures, but also the arrogance of the protagonist, who with an inflated sense of self-importance declares himself a god, only then to descend into madness. Tableaux with ceremonial gestures and poignant music are combined with scenes of intense expression, filled with drama and passion.

This will be the first production at the Staatsoper Berlin by the renowned director of opera, theater, and film Emma Dante. Bertrand de Billy, widely acknowledged as a Verdi specialist, will conduct the impressive and powerful work.