About the work
Ciro riconosciuto is an opera seria by Johann Adolph Hasse on Pietro Metastasio’s libretto, based on Herodotus’s account of the young Persian king Cyrus. It premiered on 20 January 1751 at the Dresden court theatre, with Faustina Bordoni — Hasse’s own wife — singing Mandane in what became her farewell stage appearance.
Plot
The Median king Astiage orders his newborn grandson Ciro killed after a dream predicts his downfall, but a shepherd secretly raises the child. Fifteen years later, the young Ciro returns to court incognito and is only revealed as the rightful heir in the final scenes.
Cultural significance
That this particular opera became the farewell performance of the celebrated soprano Faustina Bordoni made the Dresden premiere a notable event at the Saxon-Electoral court; the opera was also revived in Warsaw in 1762.