Va, pensiero
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Va', pensiero (Va, pensiero, sull'ali dorate - in English also known as Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves) is a chorus from the third act of Nabucco (1842) by Giuseppe Verdi, with words by Temistocle Solera, inspired by Psalm 137. Known as Verdi's "Jewish" work of art, it recollects the story of Jewish exiles from Babylon after the loss of the First Temple in Jerusalem. The opera with its powerful chorus established Verdi as a major composer in 19th century Italy.
Some scholars initially regarded it as an anthem for Italian patriots, who were seeking to unify their country in the years up to 1861 and free it from foreign control (the chorus' theme of exiles singing about their homeland, and its lines like O mia patria, si bella e perduta / "O my country, so lovely and so lost" was thought to have resonated with many Italians). [1] However, much of modern scholarship has refuted this concept and it fails to see connections between Verdi's 1840s and 1850s operas and Italian nationalism, with the exception of some of the sentiments expressed in his 1843 opera, I Lombardi [2]
On various occasions, it has been suggested that "Va' pensiero" replace the Inno di Mameli as the Italian National Anthem,[citation needed] and more recently has been appropriated by the Italian Northern Separatist movement, the Lega Nord, as the National Anthem of the unrecognized state of Padania.[citation needed]
Verdi composed Nabucco at a difficult moment in his life. His wife and small children had all just died. He had contracted with La Scalla to write another opera and the director forced the libretto into his hands. Returning home, it happened to open to "Va, Pensiero" and seeing the phrase, he heard the words singing. At first rehearsal "the stagehands shouted their approval, then beat on the floor and the sets with their tools to create an even noisier demonstration" [3]. As he was subsequently to note, Verdi felt that "this is the opera with which my artistic career really begins. And though I had many difficulties to fight against, it is certain that Nabucco was born under a lucky star".[4]
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[edit] Libretto
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Italian
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Translation in English
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Va', pensiero, sull'ali dorate; |
Fly, thought, on wings of gold; |
[edit] Notes
- ^ Paul Halsall, "Modern History Sourcebook: Music and Nationalism", Aug 1997, revised July 1998 on www.fordham.edu Retrieved 23 December 2009
- ^ Roger Parker, "Verdi and Milan", lecture which discusses Nabucco, given at Gresham College, London 14 May 2007: see below
- ^ Phillips-Matz, p. 116, noting a later statement by the composer
- ^ Quoted from "An Autobiographical Sketch" (1879) in Werfel, Franz and Stefan, Paul (trans. Edward Downes), Verdi: The Man in his Letters, p.92
[edit] References
- Budden, Julian. The Operas of Verdi, Vol. 1. London: Cassell Ltd, 1973. pp. 89–-112. ISBN 0304310581
- Phillips-Matz, Mary Jane (1993). Verdi: A Biography (1st ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 0193132044.
- Parker Roger, (ed), "Nabucodonosor": Dramma Lirico in Four Parts by Temistocle Solera (the works of Giuseppe Verdi), Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1988 ISBN 9780226853109 ISBN 0226853101
- Parker, Roger, "Verdi and Milan", lecture including details about Nabucco, given at Gresham College, London 14 May 2007.
- Werfel, Franz and Stefan, Paul (trans. Edward Downes), Verdi: The Man in his Letters, New York: Vienna House, 1973, p. 122. ISBN 0844300888
[edit] External links
- Roger Parker, "Verdi and Milan", lecture on Verdi's relationship with Milan, including details of Nabucco, given at Gresham College, London on 14 May 2007 (text, audio, & video files; available for streaming & download)
