About the work
Antigono is an opera seria by Christoph Willibald Gluck to a libretto by Pietro Metastasio. It premiered on 9 February 1756 at the Teatro Argentina in Rome.
Plot
The Macedonian king Antigono is betrothed to the Egyptian princess Berenice, but his son Demetrio also loves her and is banished as a result. When the general Alessandro of Epirus invades Macedonia, Demetrio stays loyal to his father and repels the attack. In gratitude, Antigono gives him Berenice's hand.
Cultural significance
With more than 40 settings — including those by Hasse and Paisiello — Metastasio's libretto ranks among the most frequently set texts of the 18th century. Gluck's version was revived in 2019 as part of the Bayreuth Baroque opera festival.