About the work
Demetrio is an opera seria by Johann Adolph Hasse on Pietro Metastasio’s libretto about the Seleucid king Demetrio II’s return from exile. Hasse’s premiere took place in early 1732 at the Teatro San Giovanni Grisostomo in Venice; the setting was revised several times and sometimes performed under the title "Cleonice", including in Dresden in 1740 and Kassel in 1767.
Plot
Prince Alceste, raised under a false name, returns to court while Queen Cleonice must choose between duty and affection. Only when Alceste’s true identity as the rightful heir Demetrio comes to light are the political entanglements resolved, allowing him to marry Cleonice.
Cultural significance
That Hasse’s setting toured several Italian and German cities under two different titles — "Demetrio" and "Cleonice" — shows how far opera seria productions of the period were adapted to available singers and local occasions rather than circulating as fixed works.