I have walked by the opera house in Varna many times and it is a very beautiful building and I was also curious how it looked inside.
I decided to buy tickets for the opera Nabucco (Набуко) by Verdi. Here is a short synopsis by our AI friend:
"Nabucco" is an opera by Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi, first performed in 1842. The story is set in ancient Babylon and Jerusalem and is loosely based on events from the biblical books of Jeremiah and Daniel.
The opera revolves around the Babylonian king Nabucco (Nebuchadnezzar II) who conquers Jerusalem and takes the Israelites captive, leading to their exile. The plot follows the power struggles within Nabucco's court, particularly involving his daughters Abigaille and Fenena. Abigaille, who believes she is Nabucco's rightful heir, plots to seize the throne. However, she discovers she is not his biological daughter but rather a slave. Fenena, on the other hand, falls in love with an Israelite named Ismaele, leading to further complications.
The opera explores themes of power, betrayal, redemption, and the triumph of the human spirit. It features memorable arias such as "Va, pensiero" (the Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves), which became an anthem of Italian nationalism during the 19th century. Ultimately, Nabucco experiences a crisis of conscience and divine intervention, leading to his eventual repentance and the restoration of order.
The opera was impressive and the chorus of the Hebrew Slaves was amazing. All in all the opera was a bit to the dark side and I might prefer more lighter and cheerful performances.
The pictures was sadly taking by my mobile phone and I have cropped them a bit too (much), so the quality is not impressive. It does however give an idea of the place and the show. Actually I am not sure that it was legal to take photos, but I thought I had to share the experience.
Varna opera house
Abigaille and Nabucco
Hebrew Slaves Chorus
Abigaille has poisoned herself. She begs forgiveness of Fenena, prays for God's mercy and dies
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