About the work
"Alessandro nelle Indie" is an opera seria in two acts by Giovanni Pacini to a libretto by Andrea Leone Tottola and Giovanni Schmidt, based on Pietro Metastasio's widely set text "Alessandro nell'Indie". It premiered on 29 September 1824 at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples and reached 38 performances in its first season.
Plot
After defeating the Indian king Poro on the banks of the Hydaspes, Alessandro (Alexander the Great) falls in love with Poro's beloved, Queen Cleofide, who nonetheless remains faithful to Poro. Jealousy and the scheming of the traitor Timagene create a conflict between love, revenge and forgiveness, which Alessandro ultimately resolves by generously restoring Poro to his throne.
Cultural significance
Metastasio's text, set by around 70 composers, is one of the most frequently set librettos of the 18th century; Pacini's version is among the last major stage realizations of the story in 1820s Naples and was already performed widely in its first season.