Watch Placido Domingo in ‘Nabucco’

The legendary Placido Domingo is coming to Macon’s Douglass Theatre. Well, more accurately, he is coming via the magic of high-definition broadcast technology.

Saturday afternoon will see the great man back on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera, singing the lead in Giuseppe Verdi’s “Nabucco.” In the orchestra pit will be another talent well over age 70, James Levine, until recently the Met’s music director.

While acknowledging that both Domingo and Levine have suffered from the ravages of age, the critic for the New York Times has little but praise for this production. One thing that Domingo fans will note is that the famed tenor has now reinvented himself as a baritone, and provoked considerable discussion in the process.

Although most listeners may not be familiar with the title character, they are very likely familiar with the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar, either through the Bible or though the study of world history. Written in 1841, “Nabucco” came at a time when patriotic fever surged through Italy, just as it does in this chronicle of the fall of Jerusalem and the plight of the Israelites.

In this sixth century tale of love and jealousy, Nabucco has Jerusalem under attack. His daughter Fenena is being held hostage, and the situation is complicated by her falling in love with the Israelite Ismaele. To compound the problem, Fenena’s half-sister Abigaille also falls in love with him.

By the conclusion, Nabucco has vowed to convert to Christianity, and the conflict comes to a happy conclusion. It’s easy to see why the Verdi’s opera would have been wildly popular with the liberty-seeking Italians in the turbulent 19th century.

In the cast of the current production, in addition to Domingo, Abigaille is sung by Liudmyla Monastyrska, while Jamie Barton is Fenena.

The screening at the Douglass features a pre-show Opera Chat. Those who are foggy on Israelite and Babylonian history will be brought up to speed by the Central Georgia Opera Guild’s Ken Hammond — certain to enhance the musical experience.

This story was originally published January 4, 2017 at 11:09 AM with the headline "Watch Placido Domingo in ‘Nabucco’."