About the work
Artaserse is a three-act opera seria by Johann Adolph Hasse to a libretto by Pietro Metastasio. Its premiere on 11 February 1730 at the Teatro San Giovanni Grisostomo in Venice brought together two of the era's most celebrated singers, Francesca Cuzzoni and Carlo Broschi (Farinelli); its success established Hasse's nickname "il divino Sassone" (the divine Saxon).
Plot
At the Persian court, the general Artabano falsely accuses Prince Arbace of regicide in order to seize the throne himself. Only once Artabano's conspiracy is exposed can the rightful heir Artaserse assume power and the lovers be united.
Cultural significance
The libretto was Metastasio's first independent opera and was also set by Leonardo Vinci in Rome that same year, 1730; Hasse's Venice version made him famous across Europe and was later restaged in, among other places, Dresden (1740) and Naples (1760).