About the work
Artaserse is an opera seria in three acts by Josef Mysliveček, based on Pietro Metastasio's frequently-set libretto first performed in 1730. The premiere took place on 13 August 1774 at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples, on the birthday of Queen Maria Carolina; Mysliveček largely kept to Metastasio's original text without major alterations.
Plot
At the Persian court, a plot to assassinate King Serse endangers the happiness of two pairs of lovers when suspicion falsely falls on the innocent prince Artaserse. Only once the truth comes out can Artaserse, now king himself, show mercy: he exiles rather than executes the real conspirator, clearing the way for both couples to be united.
Cultural significance
The production's success secured Mysliveček further commissions in Naples: the following year he composed two more operas for the Teatro San Carlo, Demofoonte and Ezio. Artaserse thus forms part of a run of four Naples commissions between 1773 and 1775 through which Mysliveček cemented his standing as the most sought-after composer at the court of Ferdinand IV.