About the work
La vera costanza is a dramma giocoso in three acts to a libretto by Francesco Puttini that Pasquale Anfossi had already set to music. Haydn's version premiered on 25 April 1779 at the opera house of Eszterháza.
Plot
The young Rosina has secretly married Count Errico but is disowned by his family. Despite intrigues and rival suitors, she remains steadfast until Errico finally acknowledges her as his wife.
Cultural significance
The work received 21 performances in its premiere year alone; after a theatre fire destroyed all the performance material on 18 November 1779, Haydn had to reconstruct the score from memory for a revival in 1785.