About the work
Endimione is a serenata in two parts by Johann Christian Bach, set to Pietro Metastasio's libretto as adapted by Giovanni Gualberto Bottarelli. Scored for four solo voices, chorus and orchestra, it premiered on 6 April 1772 at the King's Theatre, Haymarket, in London.
Plot
The huntress goddess Diana meets the mortal shepherd Endymion and falls in love with him, encouraged by her nymph Nice and the god of love, Cupid. After a series of complications, the piece culminates in a tribute to love, leaving aside Endymion's mythical eternal sleep.
Cultural significance
As a festive occasional work, Endimione follows the musical idiom of opera seria with elaborate arias and was later reworked for the Mannheim court. Metastasio's text, set by more than 30 composers, was among the most frequently used serenata libretti of the 18th century.