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 six 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.

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: 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 ActScenePremiereVenice, 1730"Artaserse, dramma per musica in 3 atti", Corago, University of Bologna2nd versionDresden, 17403rd versionNaple, 1760I1Conservati fedele2Frà cento affanni345Per pieta, bell' idol mio6Sogna il Guerrier le schiere7Bramar di perdere8910Deh respirar, lasciatemi11Deh respirar, lasciatemiNon ti son Padre12Non ti son PadreTorna innocente, e poi13Torna innocente, e poiSe al labbro mio non credi14Se al labbro mio non crediSe vendetta io chiedo15Che pena al mio coreII1Rendimi il caro amico2Lascia cadermi in voltoMi scacci sdegnato!34Amalo, e se al tuo sguardo5Non temer, ch'io mai ti dica6Se d'un amor tirano7Se del fiume altera l'onda891011Per questo dolce amplessoPer questo paterno amplesso12Và trà le selve ircane13Non conosco in tal momento14Non conosco in tal momentoCosi stupisce e cade15Pallido il soleIII1Perche tarda è mai la mortePensa, che l'amor mioL'onda dal mar divisaPensa, che l'amor mio2Parto: qual pastorello3Spiega i lini, abbandona la spondaFiglio, se piu non vivi4Figlio, se piu non viviMi credi spietata5Mi credi spietataNon è ver, che sia contento6Non è ver, che sia contentoTu vuoi ch'io viva o cara (Mandane & Arbace)7Tu vuoi ch'io viva o cara (Mandane & Arbace)891011 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. ActScene London 29 Oct. 1734I1Un' altra volta o FeboConservati fedele2In sen mi tace34Per pieta, bell' idol mio5Sogna il Guerrier le schiereBramar di perdere6Non ti son PadreTorna innocente, e poiSe al labbro mio non credi (Broschi)Che pena al mio coreII1Rendimi il caro amico2Lascia cadermi in volto3Amalo, e se al tuo sguardoNon temer, ch'io mai ti dica4Se d'un amor tiranoSe del fiume altera l'onda5Per questo dolce amplessoAh ingrato crudelPallido il soleIII1Pensa, che l'amor mioSon qual nave che agitata2Spiega i lini, abbandona la spondaFiglio, se piu non vivi3Mi credi spietata4Tu vuoi ch'io viva o cara (Mandane & Arbace)5Or la nube procellosa Giusto Rè, la Persia adora (Chorus)

ActScene Venice 1734I1Conservati fedele2Se penso al tuo periglio345Per pietà, bell' idol mio6Sogna il Guerrier le schiere7Bramar di perdere891011Deh respirar lasciatemi12Non ti son Padre13Torna innocente, e poi14Dimmi che un empio sei15Chi non sente al mio doloreII1Rendimi il caro amico2Lascia cadermi in volto345Non temer, ch'io mai ti dica6Se d'un amor tirano7Se del fiume altera l'onda891011La sorte mia tiranna12Và trà le selve ircane1314Se tu mi voi felice15Cosi stupisce, e cadeIII1Perche tarda è mai la morte2Lasciar morir l'autore34Pallido il sole5Mi credi spietata6Non è ver, che sia contento78Quell'ardor che il sen m'accende9101112 Giusto Rè, la Persia adora (Chorus)

Performers and voice types Color key: Unknown Soprano Contralto Tenor Bass Soprano castrato Contralto castrato

In Hasse's settings Production Artaserse Mandane Artabano Arbace Semira Megabise Premiere: Venice, 1730"Artaserse, dramma per musica in 3 atti", Corago, University of BolognaFilippo Giorgi Francesca CuzzoniNicolò Grimaldi, aka Nicolini Carlo Broschi, aka Farinelli Maria Maddalena Pieri, aka La PolpettaAntonio Castori, aka Castorini 2nd version: Dresden, 1740 Faustina BordoniDomenico Annibali Ventura Rocchetti, aka Venturini Sofia DennerGiovanni Bindi, aka Porporino 3rd version: Naples, 1760Pietro Santi Clementina Spagnoli, aka La SpagnolettaCarlo Carlani Salvatore Consorti Dorotea Sabatini Caterina Flavis

In other productions Production Additional music ArtaserseMandane Artabano Arbace Semira MegabiseLucca 1730Andrea Pacini, aka LucchesinoAnna Maria Peruzzi, aka La ParrucchieraPellegrino Tomy, aka Vincentino Carlo Broschi, aka Farinelli Lucia LancettiGiovanni OssiMilan 1730 Gaetano Majorano, aka CaffarelliVittoria Tesi, aka La MorettaFilippo GiorgiGiovanni CarestiniAnna Maria Peruzzi, aka La ParrucchieraCatterina GiorgiVerona 1733Gioseffa Pircherin, aka La TedescaAntonia Negri, aka La MestrinaFrancesco BragantiPietro Morigi, aka Il MarchigianoEleonora Sarmantina, aka La PolacchineAndrea Costa Venice 1734 Galuppi Gaetano Majorano, aka Caffarelli Lucia Facchinelli, aka La Beccheretta Francesco Tolve Carlo Broschi, aka Farinelli Teresa Pieri, aka La Polpetta Antonio BaldiLondon 1734Broschi Porpora Antonio Montagnana Francesca Cuzzoni Francesco Bernardi, aka Senesino Francesca Bertolli, aka La Chicchina Maria SegattiLjubljana 1740Domenico BattagliniCarlina ValvasoriPasqual NegriBarbara NaziriAntonia Negri, aka La MestrinaLondon 1754 Ms Passerini Caterina Visconti, aka La Viscontina Ottavio Albuzzi Pietro Serafini Giulia Frasi Mr RanieriFerrara 1765Giuseppe GuspeltiLucrezia Agujari, aka La BastardellaPietro Tibaldi Antonio Francia, aka PerellinoLuigia FabrisAdolfo Hasse, aka Il SassoneLondon 1766 Gasparo Savoj Clementina Spagnoli, aka La Spagnoletta Ercole Ciprandi Filippo Elisi Caterina Visconti, aka La Viscontina Ms Ghiretti

Recordings

Hasse, J A: Artaserse (1730 Venice version). Orchestra Internazionale d'Italia, conductor: Corrado Rovaris. Anicio Zorzi Giustiniani (tenor) as Artaserse, Maria Grazia Schiavo (soprano) as Mandane, Sonia Prina (contralto) as Artabano, Franco Fagioli (countertenor) as Arbace, Rosa Bove (mezzo-soprano) as Semira, Antonio Giovannini (countertenor) as Megabise. Recording date: July 2012, Festival della Valle d'Itria, Martina Franca. release: 2016, Label: Dynamic Cat. CDS7715/1–3 (CD), 37715 (DVD). Hasse: Artaserse (1740 Dresden version). Orchestra of the Antipodes, conductor: Erin Helyard. David Hansen (countertenor) as Arbace, Vivica Genaux (mezzo-soprano) as Mandane, Carlo Vistoli (countertenor) as Artabano, Andrew Goodwin (tenor) as Artaserse, Russell Harcourt (countertenor) as Megabise, Emily Edmonds (mezzo-soprano) as Semira. release: 2020, Label: Pinchgut Opera, Cat. PG011.

References

External links