List of Pietro Metastasio's works

Melpomene presents the works of Metastasio to Maria Antonietta, Queen of France, in the Temple of the Graces.

This list contains Pietro Metastasio's libretti, including details of the known settings.

Operas

Apart from the Intermezzo Impresario delle Canarie , all of these works have three acts. The designation is "dramma" or "dramma per musica".

title	World premiere of the first setting	Place of the premiere	composer	Number of settings	Remarks
Siface re di Numidia	May 13, 1723	Naples, Teatro San Bartolomeo	Francesco Feo	≈ 15	Arrangement of La forza della virtù by Domenico David
Didone abbandonata	February 1, 1724	Naples, Teatro San Bartolomeo	Domenico Sarro	≈ 70
L'impresario delle Canarie	February 1, 1724	Naples, Teatro San Bartolomeo	Domenico Sarro	6th	Intermezzo to Didone abbandonata
Siroe	February 2, 1726	Venice, Teatro San Giovanni Crisostomo	Leonardo Vinci	≈ 40
Catone in Utica	January 19, 1728	Rome, Teatro delle Dame	Leonardo Vinci	≈ 30
Ezio	November 21, 1728	Venice, Teatro San Giovanni Crisostomo	Nicola Porpora	≈ 55
Semiramide riconosciuta	February 6, 1729	Rome, Teatro delle Dame	Leonardo Vinci	≈ 40
Alessandro nell'Indie	December 26, 1729	Rome, Teatro delle Dame	Leonardo Vinci	≈ 75
Artaserse	February 4, 1730	Rome, Teatro delle Dame	Leonardo Vinci	≈ 90
Demetrio	November 4, 1731	Vienna, Court Theater	Antonio Caldara	≈ 60	on the name day of Emperor Charles VI.
Issipile	February 7, 1732	Vienna, Court Theater	Francesco Bartolomeo Conti	≈ 30
Adriano in Siria	November 9, 1732	Vienna, Court Theater	Antonio Caldara	≈ 65
L'olimpiade	August 30, 1733	Vienna, Favorita	Antonio Caldara	≈ 60	for the birthday of Empress Elisabeth
Demofoonte	November 4, 1733	Vienna, Court Theater	Antonio Caldara	≈ 75	on the name day of Emperor Charles VI.
La clemenza di Tito	November 4, 1734	Vienna, Court Theater	Antonio Caldara	≈ 50	on the name day of Emperor Charles VI.
Achille in Sciro	February 13, 1736	Vienna, Theater am Kärntnertor	Antonio Caldara	≈ 30	for the wedding of Maria Theresa with Franz von Lothringen
Ciro riconosciuto	August 28, 1736	Vienna, Favorita	Antonio Caldara	≈ 25	for the birthday of Empress Elisabeth
Temistocle	November 4, 1736	Vienna, Court Theater	Antonio Caldara	≈ 25	on the name day of Emperor Charles VI.
Zenobia	August 28, 1737	Vienna, Favorita	Giovanni Bononcini	≈ 30	for the birthday of Empress Elisabeth
Antigono	October 10, 1743	Hubertusburg	Johann Adolph Hasse	≈ 45
Ipermestra	January 8, 1744	Vienna, Royal Theater	Johann Adolph Hasse	≈ 30	for the wedding of Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria with Duke Karl Alexander of Lorraine
Attilio Regolo	January 12, 1750	Dresden, Court Theater	Johann Adolph Hasse	4th	already written in 1740
Il re pastore	October 27, 1751	Vienna, garden theater of Schönbrunn Palace	Giuseppe Bonno	≈ 30
L'eroe cinese	May 13, 1752	Vienna, garden theater of Schönbrunn Palace	Giuseppe Bonno	≈ 20
Nitteti	September 23, 1756	Madrid, Real Teatro del Buen Retiro	Nicola Conforto	≈ 35	for Ferdinand VI's birthday from Spain
Il trionfo di Clelia	April 27, 1762	Vienna, Burgtheater	Johann Adolph Hasse	≈ 10	to celebrate the birth of Archduchess Isabella of Bourbon
Romolo ed Ersilia	August 6, 1765	innsbruck	Johann Adolph Hasse	2	for the wedding of Archduke Leopold to the Infanta Maria Ludovica of Bourbon
Il Ruggiero	October 16, 1771	Milan, Teatro Regio Ducale	Johann Adolph Hasse	2	for the wedding of Archduke Ferdinand with Archduchess Maria Beatrice d'Este

Serenates

Metastasio wrote these works on special occasions. He usually referred to them as "festa teatrale", "azione teatrale" or "componimento drammatico". Unless otherwise stated, it is a one-act play.

title	Date of first setting	place	composer	Number of settings	Remarks
Angelica	August 28, 1720	Naples, Palace of Antonio Caracciolo, Prince of Torella	Nicola Antonio Porpora	12	“Festa teatrale” for Empress Elisabeth's birthday ; The performances took place on September 4th and 7th
Endimione	May 30, 1721	Naples	Domenico Sarro	24	Serenata in two parts for the wedding of the Prince of Belmonte, Antonio Pignatelli, with Anna Francesca Pinelli di Sangro
Gli orti esperidi	August 28, 1721	Naples	Nicola Antonio Porpora	6th	“Componimento drammatico” in two parts for the birthday of Empress Elisabeth
La Galatea	1722	Naples, home of Diego Pignatelli	Gioseffo Comito	18th	Serenata in two parts for the christening of the two children of Diego Pignatelli, Duke of Monteleone
La contesa de 'numi	November 25, 1729	Rome, in the courtyard of the Palazzo Altemps	Leonardo Vinci	2	“Componimento drammatico” in two parts for the birth of the Dauphin Louis Ferdinand
Il tempio dell'eternità	August 20 or 28, 1731	Vienna, Theater der Favorita	Johann Joseph Fux	5	“Festa teatrale” for Empress Elisabeth's birthday
Cupid prigioniero	1732	Vienna, imperial private stage	Luca Antonio Predieri	16	"Componimento drammatico"
L'asilo d'Amore	August 28, 1732	Linz	Antonio Caldara	12	“Festa teatrale” for Empress Elisabeth's birthday
Le cinesi	Carnival 1735	Vienna, private apartments of the imperial residence of Favorita	Antonio Caldara	14th	"Componimento drammatico" as an introduction to a "Ballo cinese"
Le grazie vendicate	August 28, 1735	Vienna, private apartments of the imperial residence of Favorita	Antonio Caldara	5	“Componimento drammatico” for Empress Elisabeth's birthday
Il palladio conservato	October 1, 1735	Vienna, private apartments of the imperial residence of Favorita	Georg Reutter	4th	“Azione teatrale” for the birthday of Emperor Charles VI.
Il sogno di Scipione	October 1, 1735 (planned)	Vienna	Luca Antonio Predieri	16	“Azione teatrale” for the birthday of Emperor Charles VI.
Il Parnaso accusato e difeso	August 28, 1738	Vienna, Gallery of the Imperial Favorita	Georg Reutter	6th	“Componimento drammatico” for Empress Elisabeth's birthday
La pace from la virtu e la bellezza	October 15, 1738	Vienna, large anteroom of the imperial residence	Luca Antonio Predieri	5	“Azione teatrale” on the name day of Archduchess Maria Theresa
Astrea placata	August 28, 1739	Vienna, Gallery of the Imperial Favorita	Luca Antonio Predieri	8th	“Componimento drammatico” for Empress Elisabeth's birthday
Il natal di Giove	October 1, 1740	Vienna, private apartments of the imperial residence of Favorita	Giuseppe Bonno	9	“Azione teatrale” for the birthday of Emperor Charles VI.
Il vero omaggio	March 12, 1743	Vienna, palace garden of Schönbrunn Palace	Giuseppe Bonno	3	“Componimento drammatico” on the birthday of Archduke Joseph
La danza	April 1744	Vienna, Hofburg	Giuseppe Bonno	12	"Cantata a due voci"; performed by a lady-in-waiting and a nobleman
L'augurio di felicità	1749	Vienna, imperial private apartments of Schönbrunn Palace	Georg Reutter	1	“Cantata a tre voci” for the birthday of the Empress mother Elisabeth ; performed by the young archduchesses Maria Anna , Maria Christina and Maria Elisabeth
La rispettosa tenerezza	1750	Vienna, imperial private apartments of Schönbrunn Palace	Georg Reutter	1	“Componimento drammatico” for Maria Theresa's name day ; performed by the young archduchesses Maria Anna , Maria Christina and Maria Elisabeth
L'isola disabitata	May 31, 1753	Aranjuez	Giuseppe Bonno	37	“Azione per musica” on the name day of King Ferdinand VI. from Spain
Tributo di rispetto e d'amore	1754	Vienna, imperial private apartments of Schönbrunn Palace	Georg Reutter	1	“Componimento drammatico” for the birthday of Emperor Franz I Stephan (HRR) ; performed by the young archduchesses Maria Anna , Maria Christina and Maria Elisabeth
Il ciclope	1754	Vienna, private performance at the imperial court	unknown	8th	“Cantata a Due” commissioned by Emperor Franz I to highlight the special bass voice of one of his servants
La gara	1755	Vienna, private apartments of the imperial court	Georg Reutter	1	“Componimento drammatico” for the birth of Archduchess Marie Antoinette ; performed by Archduchess Maria Anna and two of her court ladies
Il sogno	1756	Vienna, private apartments of the Empress	Georg Reutter	1	“Componimento drammatico” by imperial commission; performed by Archduchess Maria Anna and two of her court ladies
La ritrosia disarmata	1759		unknown	2	“Componimento drammatico”, written at Farinelli's request for the royal court in Spain; probably set to music by Joseph Elsner in 1825 as a duodrama in one act
L'ape	1760		unknown	0	“Componimento drammatico”, written at Farinelli's request for the royal court in Spain
Il quadro animato	August 18, 1760	Goldegg	Georg Christoph Wagenseil	1	“Cantata a due voci” to greet Maria Theresa
Alcide al bivio	October 8, 1760	Vienna, Redoutensaal of the Hofburg	Johann Adolph Hasse	7th	“Festa teatrale” for the wedding of Archduke Joseph , later Emperor Joseph II, with Princess Isabella of Bourbon
L'Atenaide	Order of April 27, 1762 (planned)	Vienna	Giuseppe Bonno	1	“Azione teatrale” in two parts for the birth of the first child of Archduke Joseph (later Emperor Joseph II) and his first wife Isabella ; It should be performed by Isabella and four of Joseph's sisters ( Maria Anna , Maria Christina , Maria Elisabeth and Maria Amalia ). However, due to Isabella's fatal illness, the performance was canceled.
Egeria	April 24, 1764	Vienna, Burgtheater	Johann Adolph Hasse	3	"Festa teatrale" for the coronation of Joseph II as Roman king
Il Parnaso confuso	January 24, 1765	Vienna, Salon de Bataille (today's ceremonial hall ) of Schönbrunn Palace	Christoph Willibald Gluck	4th	"Azione teatrale" for the wedding of Joseph with Maria Josepha of Bavaria
Il trionfo d'Amore	January 25, 1765	Vienna, Schönbrunn Palace	Florian Leopold Gassmann	1	“Azione teatrale” for the wedding of Joseph II with Maria Josepha of Bavaria
La pace fra le tre dee	September 4, 1765 (planned)	Madrid	Nicola Conforto ?	1	“Festa teatrale” for the wedding of the Prince of Asturias , later King Charles IV of Spain , with the Infanta Maria Luise of Parma
La corona	October 4, 1765 (planned)	Vienna, Salon de Bataille (today's ceremonial hall ) of Schönbrunn Palace	Christoph Willibald Gluck	2	"Azione teatrale" on the name day of Emperor Franz I.
Partenope	September 9, 1767	Vienna, Burgtheater	Johann Adolph Hasse	5	“Festa teatrale” in two parts for the engagement of King Ferdinand IV of Naples to Archduchess Maria Josepha

Oratorios

All of these works consist of two parts. Apart from Per la festività del Santo Natale , they were commissioned by Emperor Charles VI. Written in Vienna for the Holy Week of the respective year.

title	World premiere of the first setting	Place of the premiere	composer	Number of settings	Remarks
During the festivities of the Santo Natale	1727	Rome, Palazzo della Cancelleria	Giovanni Battista Costanzi	≈ 10	"Sacro componimento drammatico"
La passione di Gesù Cristo	April 4, 1730	Vienna, Hofburg Chapel	Antonio Caldara	≈ 70	"Azione sacra"
Sant'Elena al Calvario	March 20, 1731	Vienna, Hofburg Chapel	Antonio Caldara	≈ 30	"Azione sacra"
La morte d'Abel	April 8, 1732	Vienna, Hofburg Chapel	Antonio Caldara	≈ 40	"Azione sacra"
Giuseppe riconosciuto	March 12, 1733	Vienna, Hofburg Chapel	Giuseppe Porsile	≈ 55	"Azione sacra"
La Betulia liberata	April 8, 1734	Vienna, Hofburg Chapel	Georg Reutter	≈ 50	"Azione sacra"
Gioas re di Giuda	April 5 or 7, 1735	Vienna, Hofburg Chapel	Georg Reutter	≈ 50	"Azione sacra"
Isacco figura del redentore	February 12, 1740	Vienna, Hofburg Chapel	Luca Antonio Predieri	≈ 55	"Azione sacra"

Different libretti

37 cantatas (including 26 with titles)

• Amor timido
• Il consiglio
• Il nido degli amor
• Il nome
• Il primo amore
• Il ritorno
• Il sogno
• Il tabacco
• Il trionfo della gloria
• Irene
• La cacciatrice
• La cioccolata
• La gelosia
• La Pesca
• La primavera
• L'Armonica
• La scusa
• La tempesta
• L'Aurora
• L'estate
• L'inciampo
• L'inverno
• Pel giorno natalizio di Francesco I
• Pel giorno natalizio di Maria Teresa
• Pel nome glorioso di Maria Teresa
• Primo omaggio di canto

Canzonettes

• A nice
• Canzonetta
• La libertà
• La partenza
• La primavera
• L'estate
• Palinodia

Complimenti

• Two dramatic cantatas: Johann Adolph Hasse , 1760
• Five cantatas: Georg Reutter 1748, 1751 La virtuosa emulazione , 1754, 1759, Giuseppe Bonno 1761
• Two arias: Georg Christoph Wagenseil 1752, Georg Reutter 1760

Strofe per musica

Some of the 33 strofe were probably set to music by Antonio Caldara in 1730–36 and published for the first time in 1748. They were later set to music by other composers.

Works not intended for composition

• Poesie di P. Metastasio with Il Giustino (tragedia in five acts) and other poems, Naples 1717
• 32 sonnets
• 4 spiritual poems, including Inno a san Giulio (set to music in 1751) and Pel Santo Natale , a paraphrase of Miserere (Psalm 51 and 50 of the Vulgate )
• Wedding poems
• Odes
• Translations and treatises of Greek texts
• More than 2,600 published letters

literature

• Don Neville:  Metastasio [Trapassi], Pietro (Antonio Domenico Bonaventura). In: Grove Music Online (English; subscription required).
• Don Neville:  Metastasio [Trapassi], Pietro (Antonio Domenico Bonaventura). In: Grove Music Online (English; subscription required). Alternative article.
• Metastasio, Pietro in The Music in Past and Present , p. 50861 (cf. MGG Vol. 9, p. 229 ff.) Bärenreiter-Verlag 1986 ( digital library volume 60).
• Jacques Joly: Les fêtes théâtrales de Métastase à la cour de Vienne, 1731–1767. Pu Blaise Pascal, 1978, ISBN 978-2845160194 .

Web links

Wikisource: Pietro Metastasio  - Sources and full texts

Commons : Pietro Metastasio  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Works by and about List of works by Pietro Metastasio in the catalog of the German National Library
• Works from List of works by Pietro Metastasio at Zeno.org .

Digital copies

1. ↑ L'augurio di felicità - Libretto (Italian) as digitized version at the Munich Digitization Center . In: Opere del signor abate Pietro Metastasio , Volume 11, Herissant, Paris 1782, pp. 205 ff.
2. ↑ La rispettosa tenerezza - Libretto (Italian) as a digital copy in Munich Digitization Center . In: Opere del signor abate Pietro Metastasio , Volume 11, Herissant, Paris 1782, pp. 197 ff.
3. ^ Tributo di rispetto e d'amore - Libretto (Italian) as digitized version at the Munich Digitization Center . In: Opere del signor abate Pietro Metastasio , Volume 11, Herissant, Paris 1782, pp. 189 ff.
4. ^ La gara - Libretto (Italian) as digitized version at the Munich Digitization Center . In: Opere del signor abate Pietro Metastasio , Volume 11, Herissant, Paris 1782, pp. 179 ff.
5. ↑ Il sogno - Libretto (Italian) as digitized version at the Munich Digitization Center . In: Opere del signor abate Pietro Metastasio , Volume 4, Herissant, Paris 1780, pp. 417 ff.
6. ↑ La ritrosia disarmata - Libretto (Italian) as digitized version at the Munich Digitization Center . In: Opere del signor abate Pietro Metastasio , Volume 11, Herissant, Paris 1782, pp. 105 ff.
7. ^ L'ape - Libretto (Italian) as digitized version at the Munich Digitization Center . In: Opere del signor abate Pietro Metastasio , Volume 11, Herissant, Paris 1782, pp. 149 ff.
8. ^ L'Atenaide - Libretto (Italian) as digitized version at the Munich Digitization Center . In: Opere del signor abate Pietro Metastasio , Volume 11, Herissant, Paris 1782, pp. 5 ff.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c} Joly, p. 257 ff
2. ↑ Joly, p. 280 ff
3. ↑ Joly, p. 283 ff
4. ↑ ^{a b} Joly, p. 289 ff
5. ↑ Joly, p. 350 ff