L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 14 L'Italo-Americano G i u s e p p e Verdi is one of Italy's greatest c o m p o s e r s , a s y m b o l o f national pride whose music has left an indelible mark on both the operatic tradition and Italian identity. Born in 1813 in Le Ron- c o l e , a s m a l l v i l l a g e i n P a r m a , V e r d i r o s e f r o m m o d e s t b e g i n n i n g s t o become a legendary figure in the world of music. His works, filled with emotional depth and dramatic intensi- ty, soon became not only a signifier of Romanticism in opera, but also of patriotic flair among Italians. Of a l l h i s w o r k s , N a b u c c o , which premiered at La Scala in 1842, is perhaps the one m o s t a s s o c i a t e d w i t h R i s o r g i m e n t o , I t a l y ' s 1 9 t h - c e n t u r y u n i f i c a t i o n movement. Nabucco, short for Nabu- codonosor (Nebuchadnez- zar), was Verdi's third opera and marked a turning point in his life. At the time, Verdi was in a state of despair: his second opera, Un Giorno di R e g n o , h a d f a i l e d d i s a s - trously, and he had suffered the devastating loss of his wife and two children. Con- vinced his career as a com- poser was over, Verdi had resolved to abandon music e n t i r e l y . H o w e v e r , f a t e i n t e r v e n e d w h e n B a r - t o l o m e o M e r e l l i , t h e i m p r e s a r i o o f L a S c a l a , handed him a libretto writ- ten by Temistocle Solera. I n i t i a l l y r e l u c t a n t , V e r d i was eventually inspired by t h e s t o r y , w h i c h l o o s e l y adapts biblical events about the Babylonian exile of the Israelites. The opera is a dramma lirico with a grand historical scope, and brings together themes of love, power, and divine will: the plot focuses on Babylonian king Nabuc- co, who declares himself a god, becomes a victim of divine wrath, and ultimately finds redemption. Alongside this personal journey is the s t o r y o f t h e I s r a e l i t e s , o p p r e s s e d a n d e x i l e d i n B a b y l o n , w h o s e p l i g h t struck a chord with Italian a u d i e n c e s o f t h e t i m e . Although Nabucco itself is not explicitly political, the p a r a l l e l s b e t w e e n t h e Israelites' longing for their h o m e l a n d a n d I t a l y ' s struggles for freedom a n d u n i f i c a t i o n w e r e impossible to ignore. C e n t r a l t o t h e o p e r a ' s lasting appeal is the chorus Va, Pensiero, also known a s t h e C h o r u s o f t h e Hebrew Slaves. Sung in the third act, it expresses the Israelites' deep yearning for their homeland: "Fly, thought, on golden wings; go, settle upon the slopes and hills." Va, Pensiero's associa- tion with the Risorgimento grew in the years following t h e o p e r a ' s d e b u t , w h e n I t a l i a n s b e g a n t o s e e t h e c h o r u s a s a n a n t h e m f o r their struggle against for- eign domination, and Verdi himself became a patriotic figure. During the unifica- t i o n m o v e m e n t , g r a f f i t i b e a r i n g t h e p h r a s e V i v a V E R D I a p p e a r e d a c r o s s northern Italy: Ostensibly a celebration of the composer, it was also an acronym for Viva Vittorio Emanuele Re D'Italia (Long live Victor Emmanuel, King of Italy), a dual meaning that further cemented Verdi's connec- tion to the Italian nationalist cause. T h e p o p u l a r i t y o f V a , Pensiero continued through t h e d e c a d e s ; w h e n V e r d i died in 1901, an estimated 300,000 people gathered in the streets of Milan to pay their respects and, during the funeral procession, the crowd spontaneously sang Va, Pensiero. While it isn't clear if mourners that day were, in fact, 300,000, the impromptu performance of the famous operatic piece to honor its composer is well documented. Later, at Verdi's reburial in the crypt of the Casa di R i p o s o p e r M u s i c i s t i , A r t u r o T o s c a n i n i c o n - Advancing our Legacy: Italian Community Services CASA FUGAZI If you know of any senior of Italian descent in San Francisco needing assistance, please contact: ItalianCS.org | (415) 362-6423 | info@italiancs.com Italian Community Services continues to assist Bay Area Italian-American seniors and their families navigate and manage the resources needed to live healthy, independent and productive lives. Since Shelter-in-Place began in San Francisco, Italian Community Services has delivered over 240 meals, over 900 care packages and made over 2000 phone wellness checks for our seniors. ducted a massive choir in a performance of the chorus. Today, Va, Pensiero is often proposed as an alternative national anthem for Italy and is regularly performed at concerts, official cere- monies, and even political events. B e y o n d i t s c u l t u r a l i m p a c t , N a b u c c o i s a l s o f a m o u s f o r i t s p l a c e i n V e r d i ' s a r t i s t i c d e v e l o p - ment. The opera presents Verdi's early experiments with structure and orches- t r a t i o n , w h i c h p a v e d t h e way for the masterpieces that would follow. The title role of Nabucco is among t h e m o s t d e m a n d i n g f o r baritones, requiring a com- bination of vocal power and d r a m a t i c i n t e n s i t y . A b i - gaille, the ambitious and vengeful adopted daughter o f N a b u c c o , i s a n o t h e r standout role, infamous for its technical difficulty and emotional range, making it a c h a l l e n g e f o r e v e n t h e most skilled sopranos. A curious anecdote about Nabucco involves the com- p o s e r ' s r e f l e c t i o n s o n i t s c r e a t i o n : V e r d i l a t e r claimed that the libretto had fallen open to the lines of Va, Pensiero when he first read it and that he immedi- ately envisioned the music for the chorus. In truth, the story may be apocryphal, b u t i t c l e a r l y s h o w s t h e almost mythical significance t h a t V e r d i a n d o t h e r s attached to the piece. The opera's premiere at La Scala was a resounding s u c c e s s , a n d c a t a p u l t e d V e r d i t o f a m e ; i t a l s o marked the beginning of his close relationship with the M i l a n e s e o p e r a h o u s e , which would host many of his greatest triumphs. While Nabucco is often viewed through the lens of i t s p o l i t i c a l a n d c u l t u r a l impact, it remains, at its core, a deeply human story, where themes like repen- tance, forgiveness, and the struggle for freedom take center stage. But it is Verdi's ability to balance the per- sonal with the universal, the historical with the emotion- al, that kept the opera — and its most famous chorus — a l i v e i n t h e h e a r t s o f a u d i e n c e s f o r n e a r l y t w o centuries. Nabucco: the opera that became a symbol of freedom FRANCESCA BEZZONE LIFE PEOPLE PLACES HERITAGE TRADITIONS Famed Italian conductor Arturo Toscanini directed Va', Pensiero at Verdi's reburial (Image: Bain Collection - Library of Congress. Wikicommons, Public Domain)

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