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NABUCCO
Song, Gi Hye ; ZÁBRODSKÁ, Dana (advisor) ; DUŠEK, Jan (referee)
My master's degree thesis is about the premiere held at La Scala Theatre in Milan, Italy of Nabucco by Giussepe Verdi.
This thesis is made up of two parts: a theoretical part and a practical part. The theoretical part introduces the life of Verdi, the background of the "birth" of the Opera Nabucco, and the historical background of the time. This section will also discuss the history of the Babylon Captivity, which is the background of Nabucco. The history of Korea and Italy when (ruled over) will also be compared. Lastly Va Pensiero sull ali doroate, the very important aria of Nabucco, is examined.
This thesis includes research on three different Nabuccos performed in the last two years in many different countries. The first is a collaboration by the Opera House of Royal Covent Garden of Britain and La Scala Theatre of Milano in 2013. This opera is very abstract and modernized, and presented with minimalist staging and costume. The second was held on Vlaamse Opera in Antwerp, Belgium in 2013. This was an opera with very modern and fancy staging and costume like a musical compared to the first Nabucco. Also the opera was an adaptation of many problems of the present society. The third was a Nabucco performed in Kennedy Center by the Washington National Opera of Washington, U.S. in 2012. Beside the former two operas, it showed the quintessence of classic opera with an elaborate and magnificent scale of the stage, equipment, and costume.
The three different recreations of Nabucco with historical accounts enabled me to work freely and more creatively.
In the practical part, the overall concept of the recreation of Nabucco is shown. The concept describes how and when the inspirations come from, moreover the balance to the historical background tried. Compared to other works, the key concept is the contrast between two ethnic groups rather to the contrast between each character in the opera, and the traditional visual features of Jewish people used, as well as Babylon's. The main concept is the combination of historical and contemporary aspects. For example, in the case of Babylon, luxurious and decadent costumes partially inspired by the gold color of the Ishtar Gate used and in the case of Babylonian forces, the symbols that reminds one of Babylon attached to the present uniforms of military forces. Nabucco and his two daughters have significant differences. Abigaille is a woman with charisma and power, whereas Fenena is very thrifty and her mind is pure. Lastly, Zacharias and Ismael appear with typical Jewish costumes.
The dramatical characteristics of opera is combined with the harmony of history and contemporary parts over the whole concepts of Nabucco. The costumes show the fundamental parts of people from each ethnic group over artistic factors.
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