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The Four Seasons Opera Club is proud to present Giuseppe Verdi's Nabucco Friday, Oct. 11 at 6 pm in The Lodge Theater. Nabucco is modeled after the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar. The action is focused on the Nabucco's story arc movement from powerful king to deposed king due to madness from a lightning strike from God for his hubris, to his conversion to Judaism and return to sanity and kingdom. Interwoven is a love/power triangle of his daughter, Fenena, with the nephew of the King of Jerusalem, Ismaele, and Abagaille, Nabucco's non-royal daughter. By contrast, the prophet Jeremiah's tale turns upon God punishing the Jews for idolatry with the destruction of the Temple of Solomon, their banishment from Jerusalem, captivity in Babylon, and the eventual return of a chastised and more pious people. Nabucco was a resounding success in its short run at the end of the 1842 opera season at La Scala in Milan. Verdi was 28 years old, recovering from the loss of his children, then wife, when he wrote Nabucco. Verdi is recognized as the father of Italian opera. But many Americans may not know that he is also closely associated with Italian nationhood as well. The second act chorus of the Hebrew slaves, "Va pensiero" had become the theme song of the Risorgimento – the push for Italian nationhood. In the hearts of the Italian public, the plight of the Jews in Babylonian captivity echoed their own unwanted captivity in an Austrian yoke. Verdi's name was even an anagram of the rally chant, "Vittorio Emanuele, Rei d'Italia." Verdi died in 1901, and along the route of his funeral procession, the onlookers would spontaneously sing "Va pensiero" as the procession passed. A month later, his body was reinterred alongside his wife and a young Arturo Toscanini conducted a chorus of 900 singing the famous choral piece. Learn more about Nabucco on the Four Seasons Opera Club website at yukito.net. Upcoming notes: Our November offering will be the rarely produced Beethoven work, Fidelio. Also, mark your calendars for our December specials, bygone holiday tradition, Amahl and the Night Visitors on Dec. 13, and the perennial holiday tradition, e Nutcracker ballet on Dec. 20, both at 6 pm in The Lodge Theater on their respective nights. For e Nutcracker, please RSVP to me of your intent to attend as the seating is very limited. ~ Harvey Toyama, yukito@yukito.net, (951) 524-3765 38 FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | OCTOBER 2024 Opera Club Classical Music Club We are classical music lovers with an interest in sharing our love of, knowledge about, and interest in classical music. We meet on the second Thursday of each month at 7 pm in The Lodge Theater. We listen to and watch musical selections on the big screen. Each month we focus on a particular work or several selections of one composer. We also discuss current musical performances in the area. We welcome new members. Contact Steve Benoff at steve. benoff@verizon.net or (310) 413-4896. ~ Steve Beno Abagaille at the altar of Baal in Nabucco