' is the name of a number of Italian

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

s, all based on a text by

Metastasio Pietro Antonio Domenico Trapassi (3 January 1698 – 12 April 1782), better known by his pseudonym of Pietro Metastasio (), was an Italian poet and librettist, considered the most important writer of ''opera seria'' libretti. Early life Met ...

. ' is the Italian form of the name of the king

Artaxerxes I of Persia Artaxerxes I (, ; ) was the fifth King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire, from 465 to December 424 BC. He was the third son of Xerxes I. In Greek sources he is also surnamed "Long-handed" ( ''Makrókheir''; ), allegedly because his ri ...

. There are over 90 known settings of Metastasio's text. The

libretto A libretto (From the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to th ...

was originally written for, and first set to music by

Leonardo Vinci Leonardo Vinci (1690 – 27 May 1730) was an Italian Baroque composer known chiefly for his 40 or so operas; comparatively little of his work in other genres survives. A central proponent of the Neapolitan School of opera, his influence on ...

in 1730 for Rome ('' Artaserse''). It was subsequently set by

Johann Adolph Hasse Johann Adolph Hasse (baptised 25 March 1699 – 16 December 1783) was an 18th-century German composer, singer and teacher of music. Immensely popular in his time, Hasse was best known for his prolific operatic output, though he also composed a co ...

in 1730 ('' Artaserse'') for Venice and in 1760 for Naples, by

Christoph Willibald Gluck Christoph Willibald (Ritter von) Gluck (; ; 2 July 1714 – 15 November 1787) was a composer of Italian and French opera in the early classical period (music), classical period. Born in the Upper Palatinate and raised in Bohemia, both part of th ...

in 1741 for Milan, by Pietro Chiarini in 1741 for Verona, by

Carl Heinrich Graun Carl Heinrich Graun (7 May 1704 – 8 August 1759) was a German composer and tenor. Along with Johann Adolph Hasse, he is considered to be the most important German composer of Italian opera of his time. Biography Graun was born in Wahrenbrüc ...

in 1743 for Stuttgart, by

Domènec Terradellas Domènec Terradellas (baptized 13 February 1713, Barcelona – 20 May 1751, Rome) was a Spanish opera composer. The birthdate is sometimes incorrectly given as 1711. Carreras i Bulbena did extensive research in contemporary documents, such as ba ...

in 1744 for Venice, by

Baldassare Galuppi Baldassare Galuppi (18 October 17063 January 1785) was a Venetian composer, born on the island of Burano in the Venetian Republic. He belonged to a generation of composers, including Johann Adolph Hasse, Giovanni Battista Sammartini, and C.&nbs ...

in 1749 for Vienna, by

Johann Christian Bach Johann Christian Bach (5 September 1735 – 1 January 1782) was a German composer of the Classical era, the youngest son of Johann Sebastian Bach. He received his early musical training from his father, and later from his half-brother, Carl ...

in 1760 for Turin, by

Josef Mysliveček Josef Mysliveček (9 March 1737 – 4 February 1781) was a Czech composer who contributed to the formation of late eighteenth-century classicism in music. Mysliveček provided his younger friend Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with significant com ...

in 1774 for Naples ('' Artaserse)'', by

Marcos Portugal Marcos António da Fonseca Portugal (24 March 1762 – 17 February 1830), known as Marcos Portugal, or Marco Portogallo, was a Portuguese classical music, classical composer, who achieved great international fame for his operas. Biography Mar ...

in 1806 for Lisbon and many other times. The text was often altered.

Thomas Arne Thomas Augustine Arne (; 12 March 17105 March 1778) was an English composer. He is best known for his patriotic song " Rule, Britannia!" and the song " A-Hunting We Will Go", the latter composed for a 1777 production of '' The Beggar's Opera'', w ...

's 1762 ''

Artaxerxes Artaxerxes may refer to: The throne name of several Achaemenid rulers of the 1st Persian Empire: * Artaxerxes I of Persia (died 425 BC), Artaxerxes I Longimanus, ''r.'' 466–425 BC, son and successor of Xerxes I * Artaxerxes II of Persia (436 BC ...

'' is set to an English libretto that is based on Metastasio's.

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...

's aria for soprano and orchestra "

Conservati fedele "" (Köchel catalogue, K. 23) is a concert aria for soprano and orchestra by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. History Mozart composed the aria in October 1765 while staying at The Hague during the Mozart family grand tour, family's British-European tour w ...

" ( K. 23, 1765) is set to the parting verses of Mandane (Artaserse's sister) at the end of the first scene. The opera was famously performed in 1734 as a

pastiche A pastiche () is a work of visual art, literature, theatre, music, or architecture that imitates the style or character of the work of one or more other artists. Unlike parody, pastiche pays homage to the work it imitates, rather than mocking ...

of songs by various composers such as

Johann Adolf Hasse Johann Adolph Hasse (baptised 25 March 1699 – 16 December 1783) was an 18th-century German composer, singer and teacher of music. Immensely popular in his time, Hasse was best known for his prolific operatic output, though he also composed a co ...

Attilio Ariosti Attilio Malachia Ariosti (or Frate Ottavio) (5 November 1666 – 1729) was a Servite Friar and Italian composer in the Baroque style. He produced more than 30 operas and oratorios, numerous cantatas and instrumental works. Life Ariosti was born i ...

Nicola Porpora Nicola (or Niccolò) Antonio Giacinto Porpora (17 August 16863 March 1768) was an Italian composer and teacher of singing of the Baroque era, whose most famous singing students were the castrati Farinelli and Caffarelli. Other students include ...

and

Riccardo Broschi Riccardo Broschi (c. 1698 – 1756) was a composer of baroque music and the brother of the opera singer Carlo Broschi, known as Farinelli. Life Broschi was born in Apulia, Kingdom of Naples, the son of Salvatore Broschi, a composer and chapelmas ...

. It was in this that Broschi's brother,

Farinelli Farinelli (; 24 January 1705 – 16 September 1782) was the stage name of Carlo Maria Michelangelo Nicola Broschi (), a celebrated Italian castrato singer of the 18th century and one of the greatest singers in the history of opera. Farinelli ...

, sang one of his best-known arias, "".

Recordings

*Vinci (1730): **

Philippe Jaroussky Philippe Jaroussky (; born 13 February 1978) is a French countertenor. He began his musical career with the violin, winning an award at the Versailles conservatory, and then took up the piano before turning to singing. Unusually for a counterteno ...

(Artaserse),

Max Emanuel Cenčić Max Emanuel Cenčić (born 21 September 1976) is a Croatian countertenor and stage director. He was a member of the Vienna Boys' Choir. Life and career Early years Max Emanuel Cenčić was born in Zagreb. He started singing at a very earl ...

(Mandane), Juan Sancho (Artabano),

Franco Fagioli Franco Maximiliano Fagioli (born May 4 1981, in San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán) is an Argentine operatic countertenor. Life Born in Argentina, Fagioli initially studied piano and then singing at the Superior Art Institute of the Teatro Colón ...

(Arbace),

Valer Barna-Sabadus Valer Barna-Săbăduș (born 15 January 1986), also Valer Sabadus, is a Romanian-German countertenor. He sings in both the alto and soprano range. Life Barna-Sabadus was born in Arad, Romania, Arad (Romania), near the Hungarian border. He is ...

(Semira), (Megabise),

Concerto Köln Concerto Köln is an ensemble specialising in music of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The group formed in 1985, one of many groups associated with the surging interest in period instruments in that decade. Its members consisted mainly ...

Diego Fasolis Diego Fasolis (born 19 April 1958) is a Swiss classical organist and conductor, the leader of the ensemble I Barocchisti. He has conducted operas in historically informed performance at major European opera houses and festivals, and has made award- ...

, 2012.''Artaserse''
Leonardo Vinci Label: Erato (DVD), Erato/Warner Classics (CD) *Hasse (1730): ** Anicio Zorzi Giustiniani (Artaserse),

Maria Grazia Schiavo Maria Grazia Schiavo (born 1975) () is an Italian classical soprano, particularly known for her performances of music from the baroque period. She has performed with major opera houses in Austria, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain, and has appear ...

(Mandane),

Sonia Prina Sonia Prina (born 30 November 1975) is an Italian operatic contralto who has had an active career in concerts and operas since the mid-1990s. She is particularly known for her appearances in Baroque operas and for her performances of the Baroque c ...

(Artabano),

(Arbace), Rosa Bove (Semira), (Megabise), Ensemble Barocco dell'Orchestra Internazionale d'Italia, Corrado Rovaris, 2016. Label: Dynamic CDS7715 ** Andrew Goodwin (Artaserse),

Vivica Genaux Vivica Genaux (; born July 10, 1969) is an American coloratura mezzo-soprano. She was born in Fairbanks, Alaska. She has sung in major operas such as ''The Barber of Seville'' at the Metropolitan Opera, ''L'italiana in Algeri'' at Opéra Nation ...

(Mandane), (Artabano), David Hansen (Arbace), Emily Edmonds (Semira), Russell Harcourt (Megabise), Orchestra of the Antipodes,

Erin Helyard Erin Helyard is an Australian conductor and keyboard performer specialising in early music and baroque opera. He was born in Gosford, on the Central Coast near Sydney. Career Helyard graduated from the Sydney Conservatorium and was awarded a Uni ...

, 2018. Label: Pinchgut Live PG011 *Arne (1762): ** Margaret Cable (Artaxerxes), Elizabeth Vaughan (Mandane), John Brecknock (Artabanes), Sandra Browne (Arbaces), Sandra Dugdale (Semira), New Chamber Soloists, , 1979. Label: MRF Records MRF-162S **

Christopher Robson Christopher is the English version of a Europe-wide name derived from the Greek name Χριστόφορος (''Christophoros'' or '' Christoforos''). The constituent parts are Χριστός (''Christós''), "Christ" or "Anointed", and φέρει ...

(Artaxerxes),

Catherine Bott Catherine Bott (born 11 September 1952) is a British singer and broadcaster. Following her studies at The King's High School For Girls and Guildhall School of Music and Drama, with Arthur Reckless, she began her career as a member of Swingle I ...

(Mandane),

Ian Partridge Ian Partridge (born 12 June 1938) is a retired English lyric tenor, whose repertoire ranged from Monteverdi, Bach and Handel, the Elizabethan lute songs, German, French and English songs, through to Schoenberg, Weill and Britten, and on to co ...

(Artabanes), Patricia Spence (Arbaces), Philippa Hyde (Semira), Richard Edgar-Wilson (Rimenes), The Parley of Instruments,

Roy Goodman Roy Goodman (born 26 January 1951) is an English conductor and violinist, specialising in the performance and direction of early music. He became internationally famous as the 12-year-old boy treble soloist in the March 1963 recording of Alleg ...

, 1996. Label: Hyperion CDA67051/2 ** (Artaxerxes),

Elizabeth Watts Elizabeth Watts (born 1979) is an English operatic soprano. Watts was born in Norwich and attended Norwich High School for Girls. She studied archaeology at Sheffield University and graduated with first class honours. Beginning in 2002, she stu ...

(Mandane),

Andrew Staples Andrew Staples (born 19 August 1979) is an English operatic tenor. Education and training Staples started as a chorister at St Paul's Cathedral and was accepted at Eton College under a musical scholarship. Career With The Royal Opera, Staples h ...

(Artabanes), Caitlin Hulcup (Arbaces), Rebecca Bottone (Semira), Daniel Norman (Rimenes), The Mozartists, Ian Page, 2021. Label: Signum Records SIGCD672

References

External links

''Artaserse'' libretto (PDF, RTF, TXT)Libretto
*Torre, Robert

''Discourses in Music'': The Journal of the University of Toronto Music Graduate Association, Volume 6, Number 1 (Summer 2006) {{Authority control 1730 compositions Libretti by Metastasio

Recordings

References

Further reading

External links