"Nabucco" is back to celebrate the 99th Arena di Verona Opera Festival 2022
"Nabucco", the third show on stage at the 99th Opera Festival, is back in Arnaud Bernard's spectacular cinematic “risorgimento” production that sets the story in the years in which the opera was composed
It will be a unique evening thanks to today's best artists on stage in one of the most critically acclaimed and applauded by the Arena audience productions, namely that of Arnaud Bernard, who has set the story in the time period in which Verdi composed the opera: an Italy still in search of its independence and national identity and for which this title has become immediately emblematic, with uninterrupted success since the date of its debut on March 9, 1842 to the present.
It is a show of broad historical and cinematic scope that visually draws on the great example of Senso, Luchino Visconti's timeless movie. To this end, the show is aided by Alessandro Camera's imposing set design that, amid barricades and great halls, revolves around a building that evokes Milan's Teatro alla Scala, a city at the center of the Risorgimento uprisings of 1848.
In the title role, the great baritone Amartuvshin Enkhbat, acclaimed at the Arena since his debut. He makes his long-awaited return to the immense stage under the stars immediately after his great personal success as the new Rigoletto at Teatro alla Scala. Alongside him, the Uruguayan soprano Maria José Siri for the first time in Verona in the very difficult role of Abigaille, which has recently entered her repertoire. Making his Arena debut is bass Abramo Rosalen as Zechariah, in this edition a more political leader than ever for the oppressed people, while tenor Samuele Simoncini and mezzo-soprano Francesca Di Sauro (a very young talent in her Arena debut) play Ishmael and Fenena, respectively. In the role of the High Priest of Belo, the one who supports Abigaille's coup d'état, is baritone Nicolò Ceriani, while Abdallo, Nabucco's loyal officer, is played by Carlo Bosi. Completing the cast is young Anna, Zechariah's sister, brought to the stage by Elisabetta Zizzo.
The Fondazione Arena Orchestra and Chorus trained by Ulisse Trabacchin are conducted by Daniel Oren, who returns to the lead of this setting requesting hundreds of mimes, figurants and Technicians, after conducting its premiere in 2017. Maestro Oren will be on the podium for seven performances, while the August 18 performance will be conducted by Alvise Casellati. The cast of the unmissable shows includes welcome returns (such as those of Sebastian Catana, Luca Salsi, Rafał Siwek, Riccardo Rados, and Elena Borin) and interesting debuts in the thousand-years-old amphitheater among acclaimed stars and young talent (Roman Burdenko, Ewa Płonka, Vasilisa Berzhanskaja, Adolfo Corrado, and Giacomo Leone).
Reruns: July 1, 7, 10, 23, and 29 - August 18 - September 3