Students in the Opera Philadelphia's Sounds of Learning program saw Verdi's Nabucco at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia on September 25th, 2013.
This production of Nabucco travels back in time to bring us to the premiere of Nabucco at the La Scala opera house in Italian during the turbulent times of 1842, when Italy was not a unified country yet, and the Italian states were ruled mostly by Austrians. The students saw chorus and extras dressed as 19th century Italian stagehands and dressers, and Austrian patrons and soldiers used as an integral part of the staging of the opera to make them feel like they were witnessing the first showing of this opera in 1842. The dramatic warrior princess Abaigaille, played by the Hungarian singer Csilla Borross, captivated students with her callous and evil nature, and eventual repentance in the last act. The characters in Nabucco are very dynamic and they each change in their own way from good to evil from one act to the next! It's a good thing the students and teachers prepared for this complex plot with the comprehensive Sound of Learning book and activities!
Participating students are encouraged to share their thoughts on the opera by posting their reviews here. All reviews, positive and negative, will be accepted, just make sure to include your first name, grade, and the school you attend. In order to be accepted onto the blog, all reviews must be at least 50 words or more.
Tell us what you liked about the story, the sets, your favorite character, or your favorite scene, and more.
Don't forget to support your opinion in 50 words or more!
Thanks!
This production of Nabucco travels back in time to bring us to the premiere of Nabucco at the La Scala opera house in Italian during the turbulent times of 1842, when Italy was not a unified country yet, and the Italian states were ruled mostly by Austrians. The students saw chorus and extras dressed as 19th century Italian stagehands and dressers, and Austrian patrons and soldiers used as an integral part of the staging of the opera to make them feel like they were witnessing the first showing of this opera in 1842. The dramatic warrior princess Abaigaille, played by the Hungarian singer Csilla Borross, captivated students with her callous and evil nature, and eventual repentance in the last act. The characters in Nabucco are very dynamic and they each change in their own way from good to evil from one act to the next! It's a good thing the students and teachers prepared for this complex plot with the comprehensive Sound of Learning book and activities!
Participating students are encouraged to share their thoughts on the opera by posting their reviews here. All reviews, positive and negative, will be accepted, just make sure to include your first name, grade, and the school you attend. In order to be accepted onto the blog, all reviews must be at least 50 words or more.
Tell us what you liked about the story, the sets, your favorite character, or your favorite scene, and more.
Don't forget to support your opinion in 50 words or more!
Thanks!
Comments
This production of "Nabucco" was done excellently. From the plot of the story to the diction and pitch in the songs, this was put together fantastically. I found myself so caught up in what the characters were doing, that I did not even bother to check the English translation to understand the events taking place. The set designs seemed to bring it all together, giving it that realistic effect. What was surely to be painted, looked as if it were the actual structure itself. The details just seemed to jump at you in a way that you would swear it could not be paint.
The sets were very intriguing to the eye and the entire cast wore such fitting costumes for the time period. It was just so appealing as an audience member as the design felt flawless. The stage craft and costumes were as spot on as the powerful voices of the men and women.
The plot itself was at times difficult to follow but nevertheless intense and hard to keep from watching. The consistent turn of power as well as so many afflictions between characters made for a very pleasant storyline regardless of its complexity.
I enjoyed above all Nabucco, simply because he was a character! He was exciting and there was something quite epic about him. There was a true sense that the actor was channeling past events of violence and understood the role of being a king in the past to an extent. It was a good time, and a learning experience as a student
It was really an amazing opera, the first one I ever went to. It couldn't have been better, although the unexplained roleplay happening in the background. I was a little confused with the soldiers, the man and the women, and the backdrop of the Italian men. It would have been good to explain it.
It's not exactly the companies fault, but if there is a room full of student, generally teenage girls, they scream loud and high-pitched at the applause!
I was always looking forward to being an audience member in an opera. I am lucky that "Nabucco" was my first! It was intense, and well choreographed. It was for sure an attention grabber. Once you follow and get to know who every character is, it is easy to understand. I think that the set was so realistic that it even seemed to be three-dimensional!
My favorite scene would probably have to be when Nabucco himself was free from the prison cell and was finally reuniting with his daughter Fenena. It was dramatic as it is, and overall I would think that "Nabucco" is time well spent, and an experience that no one should miss.
School Name: Mount Rushmore Homeschoolers
Grade : 6
I really liked the opera Nabucco. My teacher used the workbook to teach us about the story, and that helped me understand what was going on.
I liked the story itself because it showed strong people fighting against harsh rulers. I believed what I was seeing.
I liked how they showed a story in a story, and having the Italian people in the boxes in the audience made it feel like we were back in time. I really liked how they brought out the flag at the end when they did that final song.
My favorite character was Nabucco. He was able to change the way he acted many times throughout the performance. I liked the scene when he was in the prison cell. You could see how he was able to really become the part when you compared the difference from how he was in the beginning to how he was at the end.
The sets and costumes were awesome. The costumes seemed like they were really a part of the time of the story, and there were so many different background sets to look at it kept the stage alive. My favorite was the hanging moon. That whole scene was so awesome.
This was my third opera. The first time I ever came I didn't know if I would like it. Now I look forward to coming.
Thank you for offering this to us.
8th Grade
Lawrence Middle School
I liked the opera. I found it quite interesting. I do think though that if I did not read the story before hand AI would not know anything that is going on. I loved abigaill's character. She was very mischivious and had a beautiful strong voice. I am glad to I went to the opera and I know I made a good choice.
Nabucco was an incredible experience for me. Being the first opera I had ever gone too, I was very anxious to see the production, and it exceeded my expectations. The plot was complex and compelling; the characters were strong and their voices powerful. The sets were magnificent, along with the costumes. I hope to be able to see another brilliant production from Opera Philadelphia again, soon.
Grade: 6th
School: Mt Rushmore Homeschoolers
I really liked Nabucco! I didn’t really have a favorite character but I liked them all! I liked the sets and all the fire stuff was awesome. It was cool how they had the people on the side in the box seats. We had a class before the opera and we used the work book which was really helpful. That and the subtitles helped me to understand the story better. Nabucco was really good and I definitely would like to see another opera!
Grade: 9th
School: Mt Rushmore Homeschoolers
I have been to 5 operas, and I think this might be the best one yet! The story itself is very interesting, and easy to follow, but it was the actors/singers that made it! They all were wonderful, and very talented. I loved the sets, and the use of fire was really cool! I don’t think I had a favorite scene, (it was all so good!) but I loved how it was almost “a show within a show” with how they made it feel like it was a real 16th century Italian opera with the opera goers in the box seats, etc. Also, my group was lucky enough to get our picture taken with the “soldiers” at the end of the show! The whole experience was great! Thanks for this opportunity!
School Name: Mount Rushmore Homeschoolers
Grade : 9
Like many of the operas I have seen before, "Nabucco" was excellent and I liked it very much. The story was very interesting and I enjoyed learning about the history of the opera in the workbook. It was very difficult for me to pick a favorite character or singer because everyone did such a wonderful job. However, I think that I liked Abigaille the most. I liked that much like Nabucco, she turned good in the end, after having done so many terrible things. I think Miss Boross has a beautiful voice and played her character very well.
I liked the costumes in this opera very much. They were very pretty and and it was easy to tell which group of people a person belonged to. The sets were awesome as well; I enjoyed them as much as I did he rest of the show.
Again, I liked "Nabucco" very much and I look forward to seeing the next opera! Thank you for including us in this great program!
Out of the three operas I have seen, Nabucco was by far the best. Having studied the workbook before the opera, I could follow the storyline easily, and I could relate to the characters, especially Nabucco. The story reminded of the proverb "Pride goes before a fall". Nabucco fell big, but with a lot of help, he made it right.
I loved the sets and costumes. They made the opera come alive, giving me something to look at when the opera got slow.
The story-within-a-story was interesting. I liked the last part, when Abigaille and the others came out with the Italian flag at the end and the soldiers got angry. It added a surprise element, even though I was expecting something like that to happen.
Overall, this was am excellent opera, one I would gladly see again!
Grade: 8th
Nabucco was the third opera I have attended. It was amazing, definitely my favorite out of the three. I especially loved the encore of Va, Pensiero with the Italian flags at the end. The Opera Company of Philadelphia made it feel so real! I am even writing an article about it for a homeschool newsletter. Thank you to The Sounds of Learning for giving my friends and I such an awesome experience. I can't wait to see the next opera!
Grade 9
School name: Mount Rushmore Homeschoolers
Nabucco was my third opera. My teacher used the workbook to help me to understand the story, which help a lot. The subtitles helped me follow what was going on durring the opera. I really enjoyed all of the opera. The sets and costumes were amazing. The actors and actresses staid in character the entire time,even when they were off stage. My group was lucky enough to get pictures with two of the soldiers afterwards. They were really cool! My favorite character was Fenena. I cant wait for the next opera. Thank you for giving us the opportunity.
“Nabucco” was an amazing show. When I was first told I was going to an opera, I thought it would be nice for the most part but boring at times. I was proved very wrong! There wasn't a dull moment onstage. The stage was set beautifully and authentically, and the “audience members” were a nice touch. All the characters acted and sang their parts wonderfully, but I certainly thought the best performer was Csilla Boross, as Abigaille. Her songs were definitely the strongest, and her haughty, “diva performance”, was very entertaining. One of the high points of the opera for me was when Sebastian Catana, as Nabucco, cried out to God from the large metal cage onstage. I felt the whole show glorified God in a very entertaining way; which, as a Christian, I loved and appreciated very much. My overall favorite part of the opera was the grand finale. The whole cast onstage formed an Italian flag and sang out triumphantly. It was beautifully done and brought tears to my eyes. I think overall, “Nabucco” was a great, talent-filled, cultural experience, and I would gladly see it again.
Lara Guerrini, Age 13
There were some things I didn't enjoy as much, for instance it was a bit slow paced after Act I. I was also a bit confused at the end of the opera when it seemed Nabucco died and Abigaille didn't. This was opposite of what the workbook said. I also couldn't grasp the romance between Fenena and Ismaele. It didn't really work for me.
When reading the workbook I felt Fenena was the most interesting character, but in the actual performance, I felt that way about Abigaille. Even though she was evil, she was not boring. The singer playing Abigaille also had a very strong voice, and was my favorite singer.
I would absolutely love to attend another opera and am very grateful for these opportunities!
Nabuco was most likely the best opera I have ever seen. I have never seen one before. Now after seeing it i will definitely go and see more of these in the future.
Studio for Strings
I greatly enjoyed watching Nabucco. The actors made their characters truly come alive, and their voices were amazing. I loved the costumes, especially Abigaille and her court's brightly colored ones. It was interesting that the Hebrews were all in white to contrast with the Babylonians. I also really liked the story within the opera of an old Italian and the political turmoil going on. The finale seemed to hold so much emotion and I loved seeing the pieces of the interwoven story come together. I also loved the cello solos, they were beautiful!
Studio for Strings
I greatly enjoyed watching Nabucco. The actors made their characters truly come alive, and their voices were amazing. I loved the costumes, especially Abigaille and her court's brightly colored ones. It was interesting that the Hebrews were all in white to contrast with the Babylonians. I also really liked the story within the opera of an old Italian and the political turmoil going on. The finale seemed to hold so much emotion and I loved seeing the pieces of the interwoven story come together. I also loved the cello solos, they were beautiful!
The most interesting part was watching how the actors were dressed and the way they held themselves on stage. Their costumes really matched the stage setting, with the white togas for the rebels and the armor for the soldiers. And the sets were incredible! The scenes in front of the temple doors and inside the castle seemed very real, thanks to the sets!
The acting for the most part was pretty good, but I didn't really see the romance between Fenena and Ismaele.
My favorite character/actor was Nabucco. It was very clear how powerful he felt when he put on the crown and proclaimed himself god and how guilty he felt when he was in prison and saw Fenena being led to her death. He was the character who, in realizing how what his tyranny has done to his beloved daughter, changed the most. From a blood-thirsty tyrant to a loving father, it amazed me how much a character can change.
My favorite song was the one where the rebels sang about their homeland. It wasn't loud and clear like the other songs sung by Nabucco, Fenena, and Abigaille, but it was soft and heartfelt.
Overall, the opera was really fun. I enjoyed seeing it and it was a great learning experience for me!
I thought Nabucco was so good! It really told the story well and it incorporated the "opera inside an opera."
I also really like the costumes and how much the actors and actresses projected.
Nabucco is considered to be a complicated opera, however I thought that this production was very understandable!
The setting looked so real and with the costumes as well, it seemed as almost they had went back to that time period!
Thank you for this awesome opportunity!
The opera was great! It was very exciting, although I was so caught up in the opera that I would get pretty annoyed when the people in front of me blocked my view. There were a couple of mistakes, and sometimes there weren't translations. But the backgrounds and costumes were perfect, and the singing took my breath away. I would love to come see an opera here again.