Eddie Pensier writes:

Verdi’s Nabucco isn’t performed much nowadays, with the notable exception of its one huge mega-hit tune: “Va, Pensiero”, also known as the Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves. It’s sung by the Israelites who mourn their homeland and the destruction of the Temple while they are prisoners of the Babylonian king Nabucco (Nebuchadnezzar).

Va, pensiero, sull’ali dorate;
va, ti posa sui clivi, sui colli,
ove olezzano tepide e molli
l’aure dolci del suolo natal!

Del Giordano le rive saluta,
di Sionne le torri atterrate…
O, mia patria, sì bella e perduta!
O, membranza, sì cara e fatal!

Arpa d’or dei fatidici vati,
perché muta dal salice pendi?
Le memorie nel petto raccendi,
ci favella del tempo che fu!

O simile di Sòlima ai fati
traggi un suono di crudo lamento,
o t’ispiri il Signore un concento
che ne infonda al patire virtù.

(Fly, thought, on wings of gold;
go settle upon the slopes and the hills,
where, soft and mild, the sweet airs
of our native land smell fragrant!

Greet the banks of the Jordan
and Zion’s toppled towers…
Oh, my country, so beautiful and lost!
Oh, remembrance, so dear and so fatal!

Golden harp of the prophetic seers,
why dost thou hang mute upon the willow?
Rekindle our bosom’s memories,
and speak to us of times gone by!

Mindful of the fate of Jerusalem,
give forth a sound of crude lamentation,
or may the Lord inspire you a harmony of voices
which may instill virtue to suffering.)

The chorus immediately became not only popular for its plaintive tune but its deeply felt words by librettist Temistocle Solera. It became an anthem for supporters of Italian unification, and Verdi did not discourage this. It was spontaneously sung by mourners following his casket through the streets, and became a patriotic favorite. (As late as 2009, there were calls to make it Italy’s official national anthem.) Since then it has become part of Italy’s (and Europe’s) collective consciousness.

Here are five ways to experience the many moods of “Va, pensiero”:

*As a straightforward and heartbreaking performance (with encore!) version by the Metropolitan Opera Chorus and Orchestra under James Levine, from 2002. (Vintage fans may prefer this audio-only version by Toscanini, who conducted it at Verdi’s official funeral.)

*As a football chant.

*As a jazz quintet.

*As an accordion solo performed by Gigi Stok.

*As a theremin solo performed by Thomas Grillo.

*(Bonus: As a karaoke, so you can try singing it yourself if you’re feeling a bit risorgimento.)