About the work
Artaserse is an opera seria by Niccolò Antonio Zingarelli, set to Pietro Metastasio's libretto, which more than 90 composers set to music. It premiered on 19 March 1789 in Trieste, followed by a performance at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan in 1793.
Plot
At the Persian court, King Xerxes is murdered by his guard commander Artabano, who frames Prince Dario for the crime and pushes for his execution in order to eliminate the royal family. When the true murderer is exposed, the younger prince Artaserse ascends the throne; betrayal, loyalty and the love between Arbace and Mandane drive the rest of the plot.
Cultural significance
Metastasio's Artaserse text is among the most frequently set librettos in opera history; Zingarelli's version was one of well over 90 settings and held its place on Italian stages at least into the 1790s.