Claude Heater Foundation presents a performance of Giuseppe Verdi’s transformative opera Nabucco, on Sunday, October 20, 2019, at 3:00 PM, at the Congregation Sherith Israel, San Francisco. The lead opera artists for the concert are baritone Kenny Stavert (Nabucco), soprano Juyeon Song (Abigaille), bass-baritone Philip Skinner (Zaccaria), mezzo-soprano Tamara Gallo (Fenena), and tenor Alex Boyer (Ismaele). Conducting the singers and full orchestra will be Jonathan Khuner. Supertitles will be projected of the lyrics in English. Advance tickets are on sale at https://nabucco-sf.eventbrite.com. Event details are at https://www.claudeheaterfoundation.org/nabucco. Tickets will also be available at the performance. Credit card and cash accepted; no checks please.
Verdi’s Nabucco is sometimes called the “Jewish opera,” taken from the biblical and historical story of Babylonian King Nabucodonosor aka Nebuchadnezzar II. The opera tells the story of the Jewish people being oppressed by Nabucco, resisting, and ultimately being freed by the once cruel king. Its chorus “Va pensiero,” known as the Prayer of the Hebrew Slaves, is one of the most beloved and inspirational of all operatic songs, expressing the emotions of oppressed people’s longing for freedom. This famous chorus will be sung in Hebrew translation for this performance. This unique event is the first time that the opera Nabucco, about the persecution of the Jewish people, is being done in the temple, a location where indeed, much of the drama in the opera is set.
Congregation Sherith Israel is a beautiful and appropriate venue for this performance. The magnificent domed sanctuary was consecrated in 1905, and is visually stunning with its opalescent stained glass, elaborate stenciled frescoes, hand-carved Honduran mahogany and a majestic Murray Harris organ. Sherith Israel is in the forefront of contemporary values, championing social justice and activism on behalf of civil and human rights. The sanctuary will be a gorgeous setting for the Nabucco performance, and also a uniquely appropriate fit for this inspiring story from Jewish heritage.
The Claude Heater Foundation is a non profit organization existing to promote arts and culture in the Bay Area and beyond. It is named named after and supported by the American opera singer Claude Heater, an Oakland native and current Bay Area resident, whose singing career flourished in the 1950s and 1960s, who later served as General Director of Oakland Opera, and is also known for portraying the role of Jesus Christ in the 1959 film Ben-Hur.
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