Nabucco (Teatro di San Carlo) (1998)

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Nabucco (also known as Nebuchadnezzar, the king of the Baal-worshipping Assyrians, has attacked and overwhelmed Jerusalem. The Israelites have captured Fenena , Nabucco's daughter, and high priest Zaccaria gives her to Ismaele, leader of the military, for safekeeping. Unbeknownst to Zaccaria, Ismaele and Fenena are in love, and he returns her to Nabucco, earning the wrath of Zaccaria in the process. Back in Babylon, Fenena frees the Hebrew prisoners; in return, the High Priest of Baal plot her downfall, falsely stating that Nabucco has died and his other daughter, Abigaille, will rule instead of Fenena. Nabucco, having escaped death, puts a stop to this ceremony, and declares himself stronger than Baal or Jehovah. He is then struck by lightning and rendered insane. Abigaille seizes the throne, and both Nabucco and Fenena are sentenced to death. Nabucco prays to Jehovah for forgiveness, whereupon his sanity is restored, and he gathers together his followers to do battle. Fenena, facing imminent execution, asks Jehovah to accept her into his heaven, but her father arrives before she can be killed. He order the statue of Baal destroyed. Ismaele and Fenena are reunited, and Nabucco frees the Israelites and declares himself a servant of their God. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi