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| Artaserse | |
|---|---|
| Opera by Johann Adolph Hasse | |
 Title page of the original libretto for Hasse's first setting of the work | |
| Librettist | Pietro Metastasio (adapted by G. Boldini) |
| Premiere | 11 February 1730 |
Artaserse is an opera (dramma per musica) in three acts composed by Johann Adolph Hasse to an Italian libretto adapted from that by Metastasio by Giovanni Boldini first shown in Venice on 11 February 1730.
History
Artaserse premiered at the Teatro di San Giovanni Grisostomo in Venice on 11 February 1730, just 6 days after the libretto's first setting by Leonardo Vinci premiered in Rome.
Hasse wrote three settings of this libretto. The original one dates from 1730, just before he became Kapellmeister in Dresden. A second setting was made for the Court Theatre in Dresden in 1740. Finally, he composed a third one in 1760, when he was nearing the end of his career as Kapellmeister in Dresden.
His style, as well as musical taste, underwent considerable change during those 30 odd years, so much so that not a lot of the 1760 version (Teatro di San Carlo, Naples) sounds like the music of the 1730 and the 1740 versions. For instance, at the end of the first act of the 1760 version, Mandane's accompanied recitative and aria in which she calls upon the ghost of her father, King Xerxes, has been removed. Although this differs from the previous versions, this change actually makes the drama closer to the original by Metastasio.[1]
To those three versions solely by Hasse, one must also add a myriad of pasticcios which use Hasse's setting as a basis, including for instance the notable Autumn 1734 London production put together by Nicola Porpora, starring Farinelli in arias written by Riccardo Broschi, but also, earlier that same year, a production for the Venice Carnival including additional music by Galuppi, starring both Farinelli and Caffarelli!
Hasse's Artaserse, in full or at least in part, was produced in:[1][2][3][4]
- 1730: Venice, Lucca, Milan
- 1731: Brno, Ferrara, Kroměříž
- 1733: Verona
- 1734: Venice and London
- 1735: London
- 1736: London
- 1737: Bergamo
- 1738: Bergamo and Graz
- 1739: Modena
- 1740: Ljubljana and Dresden
- 1745: Ferrara
- 1754: London
- 1760: Warsaw and Naples
- 1762: Naples
- 1765: Ferrara
- 1766: London
- 1772: London
- 1773: London
- 1774: London
- 1779: London
- 1785: London
Synopsis
Artaserse is based on the life of king Artaxerxes I of Persia, a ruler of the fifth century B.C., son of Xerxes I.
Seeing King Serse I's power in serious decline and ambitioning to mount the throne, Artabano, the commander of the royal guards and a powerful official in the Persian court, has murdered the sovereign and is now hoping to sacrifice the rest of the royal family to his design. And so, he accuses Dario, Serses I's eldest son and older brother of Artaserse, of the regicide and persuades the latter to avenge the crime. After Dario's demise, the only thing left wanting is now the death of Artaserse, which Artabano has plotted, but his plans are delayed by a succession of various incidents and in the meantime the treason is revealed.
Roles
| Character | Description |
|---|---|
| Artaserse | Prince and subsequently King of Persia; friend of Arbace and in love with Semira |
| Mandane | Sister of Artaserse; in love with Arbace |
| Artabano | Prefect of the Royal Guard; father of Arbace and Semira |
| Arbace | Brother of Semira; friend of Artaserse; in love with Mandane |
| Semira | Sister of Arbace; in love with Artaserse |
| Megabise | General of the Persian army, Artabano's confidant; also in love with Semira |
Aria distribution
Color key:
- Artaserse
- Mandane
- Artabano
- Arbace
- Semira
- Megabise
- Duetto / coro
- No aria in the scene
- Scene does not exist
In Hasse's settings
| Act | Scene | Premiere Venice, 1730[5] |
2nd version Dresden, 1740[6] |
3rd version Naple, 1760[7] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | 1 | Conservati fedele | ||
| 2 | Frà cento affanni | |||
| 3 | ||||
| 4 | ||||
| 5 | Per pieta, bell' idol mio | |||
| 6 | Sogna il Guerrier le schiere | |||
| 7 | Bramar di perdere | |||
| 8 | ||||
| 9 | ||||
| 10 | Deh respirar, lasciatemi | |||
| 11 | Deh respirar, lasciatemi | Non ti son Padre | ||
| 12 | Non ti son Padre | Torna innocente, e poi | ||
| 13 | Torna innocente, e poi | Se al labbro mio non credi | ||
| 14 | Se al labbro mio non credi | Se vendetta io chiedo | ||
| 15 | Che pena al mio core | |||
| II | 1 | Rendimi il caro amico | ||
| 2 | Lascia cadermi in volto | Mi scacci sdegnato! | ||
| 3 | ||||
| 4 | Amalo, e se al tuo sguardo | |||
| 5 | Non temer, ch'io mai ti dica | |||
| 6 | Se d'un amor tirano | |||
| 7 | Se del fiume altera l'onda | |||
| 8 | ||||
| 9 | ||||
| 10 | ||||
| 11 | Per questo dolce amplesso | Per questo paterno amplesso | ||
| 12 | Và trà le selve ircane | |||
| 13 | Non conosco in tal momento | |||
| 14 | Non conosco in tal momento | Cosi stupisce e cade | ||
| 15 | Pallido il sole | |||
| III | 1 | Perche tarda è mai la morte | Pensa, che l'amor mio | L'onda dal mar divisa |
| Pensa, che l'amor mio | ||||
| 2 | Parto: qual pastorello | |||
| 3 | Spiega i lini, abbandona la sponda | Figlio, se piu non vivi | ||
| 4 | Figlio, se piu non vivi | Mi credi spietata | ||
| 5 | Mi credi spietata | Non è ver, che sia contento | ||
| 6 | Non è ver, che sia contento | Tu vuoi ch'io viva o cara (Mandane & Arbace) | ||
| 7 | Tu vuoi ch'io viva o cara (Mandane & Arbace) | |||
| 8 | ||||
| 9 | ||||
| 10 | ||||
| 11 | Giusto Rè, la Persia adora (Chorus) | |||
In other productions
The arias in bold italic are arias that are not part of Hasse's original opera.
| Act | Scene | London 29 Oct. 1734[8] |
|---|---|---|
| I | 1 | Un' altra volta o Febo |
| Conservati fedele | ||
| 2 | In sen mi tace | |
| 3 | ||
| 4 | Per pieta, bell' idol mio | |
| 5 | Sogna il Guerrier le schiere | |
| Bramar di perdere | ||
| 6 | Non ti son Padre | |
| Torna innocente, e poi | ||
| Se al labbro mio non credi (Broschi) | ||
| Che pena al mio core | ||
| II | 1 | Rendimi il caro amico |
| 2 | Lascia cadermi in volto | |
| 3 | Amalo, e se al tuo sguardo | |
| Non temer, ch'io mai ti dica | ||
| 4 | Se d'un amor tirano | |
| Se del fiume altera l'onda | ||
| 5 | Per questo dolce amplesso | |
| Ah ingrato crudel | ||
| Pallido il sole | ||
| III | 1 | Pensa, che l'amor mio |
| Son qual nave che agitata | ||
| 2 | Spiega i lini, abbandona la sponda | |
| Figlio, se piu non vivi | ||
| 3 | Mi credi spietata | |
| 4 | Tu vuoi ch'io viva o cara (Mandane & Arbace) | |
| 5 | Or la nube procellosa | |
| Giusto Rè, la Persia adora (Chorus) |
| Act | Scene | Venice 1734[9] |
|---|---|---|
| I | 1 | Conservati fedele |
| 2 | Se penso al tuo periglio | |
| 3 | ||
| 4 | ||
| 5 | Per pietà, bell' idol mio | |
| 6 | Sogna il Guerrier le schiere | |
| 7 | Bramar di perdere | |
| 8 | ||
| 9 | ||
| 10 | ||
| 11 | Deh respirar lasciatemi | |
| 12 | Non ti son Padre | |
| 13 | Torna innocente, e poi | |
| 14 | Dimmi che un empio sei | |
| 15 | Chi non sente al mio dolore | |
| II | 1 | Rendimi il caro amico |
| 2 | Lascia cadermi in volto | |
| 3 | ||
| 4 | ||
| 5 | Non temer, ch'io mai ti dica | |
| 6 | Se d'un amor tirano | |
| 7 | Se del fiume altera l'onda | |
| 8 | ||
| 9 | ||
| 10 | ||
| 11 | La sorte mia tiranna | |
| 12 | Và trà le selve ircane | |
| 13 | ||
| 14 | Se tu mi voi felice | |
| 15 | Cosi stupisce, e cade | |
| III | 1 | Perche tarda è mai la morte |
| 2 | Lasciar morir l'autore | |
| 3 | ||
| 4 | Pallido il sole | |
| 5 | Mi credi spietata | |
| 6 | Non è ver, che sia contento | |
| 7 | ||
| 8 | Quell'ardor che il sen m'accende |