The requirements of meeting both the strict literary requirements and the fixed theatrical conventions demanded of the new reforms in the libretti of Opera Seria presented the librettist with a formidable task. Two librettists who came closest to meeting these ideals were Apostolo Zeno and Pietro Trapassi (better known as Pietro Metastasio).
Apostolo Zeno (1668-1750)
Apostolo Zeno is thought to be the greatest of the first generation reform librettists. He took little interest in how his libretti were translated, being more interested in the form. Born in Venice in 1668, Zeno was a poet, librettist, scholar and antiquarian. He became prominent as a poet in 1691 when he aided Giovanni Carlo in founding the Accademia degli Animosi. His main interests included collecting books, manuscripts, medals and coins. His work for the theatre, however, was kept separate from his scholarly activities.
His first libretto was written in 1696. During the following years he produced libretti for the theatres of Venice and Milan. In 1709 Zeno was commissioned by the Hapsburgs to write dramas identifying the monarch’s role as a servant of the state, respect for law and virtues of justice and clemency. Between the years 1718 and 1729 he held the post of court poet in Vienna
Zeno’s reformed Libretti
The reform which Zeno was the initiator was towards moral integrity. He complained about the scant regard poets had for ethics of the theatre, arousing passions, particularly love, as opposed to keeping a clear rein on them.
Zeno continued with dramas on mythical subjects, maintaining a strong respect for history, citing his sources punctiliously, both classical and medieval, in his plot summaries. He eventually expressed doubt on how effective these reforms were,‘ save for a few of them, I consider them as failures and monstrosities’. Many were, however, remarkable successes, produced in a variety of theatres and set to music by diverse composers.
Zeno was replaced at the Viennese court in 1729 by Pietro Trapassi who inherited the reform libretto in his mature form. Zeno died in Venice in 1750.
Pietro Trapassi (Known as Metastasio) (1698-1782)
Pietro Trapassi was born in Rome in 1698. He was a poet, librettist and moralist. His main fame hinges chiefly on his twenty seven opera seria libretti, although he wrote numerous other works including oratorios, cantatas and canzonettas.
Metastasio and Cardinal Pietro Ottoboni
Pietro attained imperial recognition and patronage at an early age. His main connection was with Cardinal Pietro Ottoboni, beneficiary of Pietro Ottoboni (Pope Alexander VIII). As Trapassi’s godfather he commissioned the writing of Pietro’s first oratorio in 1727. Trapassi’s next important contact was the distinguished jurist Gianvincenzo Gravina who adopted him in 1708. Gravina introduced the young Pietro to influential members of society.
In 1714 Pietro took minor orders at the Lateran Basilica and in the following year Gravina arranged for him to change his name to the Greek equivalent of Trapassi, Metastasio. Pietro was now referred to as Abate Pietro Metastasio.
His first original opera text was Didone Abbandonata set to music by Sarro and dedicated to the Viceroy of Naples. Whilst writing this libretto he lived at the home of Giuseppe Bulgarelli and his wife, who was the Prima Donna, Marianna Benti-Bulgarelli, , well- known for her salon attracting prominent actors and composers. Metastasio’s friendship with her led a frequent presence at her salon, where he met many of the composers who were to set many of of his early works. It was here where he began his life-long friendship with Farinelli,the adopted name of Carlo Maria Broschi (1705 –1782), one of the most famous Italian castrato singers of the Eighteenth Century.who he referred to as his ‘gemello’ (twin). His next opera ‘Siroe rè Persia’ was written for the Venice carnival of 1726
Metastasio at the Viennese Court
After replacing Apostolo Zeno at the Viennese court he wrote his first work for the court, an oratorio, in 1730. Between 1730 and 1740 he wrote eleven libretti and many other works.
When the first Arcadia Academy was founded it gave impetus to a movement in Italian Literature which called for poets to return to the models of antiquity simplicity, directness and economy of its language. Metastasio maintained all of these virtues in his works.
His characters were engaged in moral actions. As with the texts of Zeno, there was no place for comic elements. Metastasio’s works satisfied the demands of his literary environment. The individual lines were supremely suitable for a musical setting and were generally set in two stanzas to accommodate the ‘Da Capo’ form of aria. In his operas the endings of the first two acts were high points of tension, with either a scene for the principle character or duet for the two principles.
His libretti embodied Enlightenment ideals, portraying characters able to overcome selfish human desires in order to achieve greatness in thought and deed. He was greatly admired for his rational approach to his libretti, for the ‘purity, elegance, clarity and dignity of his texts’. Metastasio died on April 12, 1782.
Although these were not the only librettists of Opera Seria they remained the major contributors to the genre. Metastasio's libretti would still continue be used well into the 19th Century.
References.
Anthony Hart, Concertini a tre Soprani, e Contralto - Eighteenth Century Arias for Four Voices. –
Unpublished LLCM dissertation, 2010.
Ellen Rosand, Opera in Seventeen Century Venice - the creation of a Genre. ( California, 1990).
Elena Sala di Felice, Zeno, Apostolo in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 2nd Edition (London, 2001).
Donald Grout and Hermine Williams, A Short History of Opera, 3rd Edition (New York, 1988).
Michael Robinson, Pietro Metastasio in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 2nd Edition (London 2001)
Anthony Hart - I am a retired Management Consultant, Management Trainer and University lecturer. Born in the UK, I now live in Malta. As a member of ...
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