Marlies’Artbeat: Verdi’s “Nabucco,” a Triumph for Levine and Domingo in Live-at-the-Met-in-HD

By Marlies Wolf

The Metropolitan Opera’s current production of Giuseppe Verdi’s Nabucco has been an “Event” – with a capital “E.” Frankly not for the opera itself; not for the superlative cast; nor for the splendid work of the famed orchestra or the marvelous chorus. It has operatic historical significance because it paired Music Director Emeritus, Conductor James Levine (aged 73) and Super-star Plåcido Domingo (75) who have been working together for the past 45 years. And let’s face it, these still excelling luminaries may not be in the same production or any Met operatic offering again

They are not scheduled together for the rest of this season and during a delightful intermission interview of this Live-at-the-Met in-HD-at-the-Movies, featuring them, Peter Gelb did not mention further pairing of the two icons.

Just to rattle of some of their accomplishments: Levine in his 46th season, besides being Music Director, has conducted more than 2500 performances of more than 90 operas, thirteen of which were Met premieres. And that’s just for the Met itself! His multiple National and International commitments are legendary.

Domingo has sung more than 4000 performances, (650 in 49 roles at the Met, 21 times on Opening Night.) He earned 12 Grammy Awards; branched out as a conductor and currently, besides appearing all over Europe, is still the General Director of the Los Angeles Opera. Not pinned down to any genre, he successfully tackled Italian, Spanish, French and even Wagner’s output. A splendid tenor he has recently performed 6 operas in leading baritone parts.

No wonder a huge audience braved snow and a spectacular cold spell, where I attended the live-transmission performance. Were it not for the appearance of the above-mentioned icons, the audience might have been sparse. Certainly, the rarely performed Nabucco is not a major drawing card.

When Verdi (1813-1901) faced that his first two operas were decided flops, he almost decided to stop composing. Luckily, for the world, he did not. The personal tragedies of the death of his first wife and 2 children, made this 3rd opera difficult to create, but fortunately the 28-year old Verdi was moved by the libretto by Temistocle Solera (1815-1878.) The opera premiered at Milan’s La Scala in 1842.

The plot is set in about 586 BC, at about the time of the destruction of the first Temple in Jerusalem. It loosely follows the enslavement and later reprieve of the Jews by Babylon’s Nebuchadnezzar II, as found in Jeremiah, 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, Daniel and the Psalms.

The complicated history found great empathy in Milan that was still chafing under the occupation of Austrian troops. The opera made Verdi a political hero and promoted the chorus of the Hebrew slaves “Va pensiero “ (Fly thought on golden wings) as the torchbearer for liberation. It is said that it almost became Italy’s national anthem, but that has been refuted since. Verdi, however, retained the adoration of the public. His funeral, many years later, was almost like that for royalty and was attended by an estimated 75,000 people.

Nabucco was the opera that launched his successful career. Although, in my estimation, with the exception of the aforementioned Chorus, it only hints at the absolutely fantastic operatic achievements he was to gift us with later.

None of Nabucco’s arias are truly memorable. This is unlike many in his later operas that so easily fall into the ear. One literally leaves the opera house humming those.

Yet, because of its performance strength, this “Live” Nabucco was surprisingly enjoyable. Levine’s conducting lead his magnificent orchestra in a firm, yet sensitive reading. The chorus was superb. The clever production by Elijah Moshinsky, and the massive sets by John Napier, (which took advantage of the Met’s rotating stage,) were impressive to the eye. And vocally this opera was a feast!

Domingo’s sound as a baritone, was as good as I have heard him in the last few years. Set high, the tessitura was not far from his usual warm, always-on-key delivery. His subdued acting as Nabucco, was especially impressive. How easy it might have been to go operatically overboard in his “madness” as it probably was done years ago.

The role of the treacherous Abigaille has the most challenging tessitura of the entire opera. The Ukrainian soprano Liudmyla Monastyrska, with her luscious sound, gave it full justice.

Jamie Barton, the American mezzo-soprano, beautifully filled the role of Fenena, the early convert to Judaism. You might remember the talented singer as a Richard Tucker Award winner.

Dmitri Belosselsky, the Ukranian bass, who in 2011 sang the part of Zaccaria as his debut at the Met, repeated the role now, with exceptional elegance.

Verdi would be pleased. He was well served -- although the historic significance of the Levine/Domingo pairing overwhelmed Nabucco itself.

The opera’s encores are on Wednesday, January 11, 2017 at 6:30 PM, and Thursday, January 12, at 1:00 PM, EST.