About the work
Demetrio is an opera seria by Giovanni Paisiello to Pietro Metastasio's libretto (1731), based on the story of the Seleucid king Demetrius II Nicator. It was composed in 1770 and premiered during the 1771 Carnival season at the Teatro di Corte in Modena.
Plot
The young prince Alceste is in truth the long-lost King Demetrio. While the regent Fenicio keeps his secret, Queen Cleonice falls in love with the supposed stranger. After turmoil involving intrigue and an uncovered plot, a letter reveals Alceste's true identity, and he marries Cleonice as the rightful ruler.
Cultural significance
With more than 50 settings, Metastasio's text was among the most popular opera librettos of its time, set by composers including Hasse, Vivaldi and Gluck. The 1771 Modena version counts among Paisiello's early successes as a composer of opera seria, a few years before he was called to Catherine II's court in St Petersburg in 1776.