About the life of Pietro Metastasio

1698-1707

  • Pietro Metastasio was the eldest son of Felice and Francesca Trapassi, born in Rome. His mother came from Bologna. His father was born in Assisi and served in the Pope's army, but later opened a grocery shop. Nothing in the family's history had any reference to Pietro's possibly remarkable future.
  • Surprisingly, Cardinal Pietro Ottoboni became his godfather and upon christening, the cardinal arranged Metastasio's education. It seems that Ottoboni noticed the boy's exceptional talent in improvising verse, both spoken and sung.

1708-1716

  • At the age of ten, his life changed when Professor of Laws Gran Vincenzo Gravina noticed him at a street corner, entertaining passers-by. The professor was so overwhelmed that he asked the parents for permission to adopt their son and give him a proper education.
  • Gravina was a cultural icon in contemporary Rome with a burning interest in ancient literature. Pietro first learned Latin and Greek in order to be able to read Horatio and Homer.
  • Gravina wanted the boy to have a more distinguished last name and translated Trapassi into Greek – Metastasio.
  • Even though a poeta nato – natural-born poet, Pietro was educated by Gravina to become a lawyer. Metastasio took the "non-binding oath" - i voti non vincolanti – and became an abbot. As an abbot, he wore a long coat and a tonsure (shaving of the head or the crown of the head only).
  • Despite the demanding studies, Metastasio worked on his literary skills constantly. On one remarkable occasion, he improvised 40 eight-line stanzas in front of an auditorium of scholars.

1717

  • He was ready to publish his first book, with the humble title Poesie.

1718-1719

  • After the death of his foster father, Gravina, he wrote La strada della gloria and dedicated it to him.
  • He had misfortunes both in love and in applying for the office of Curia and moved to Naples to continue his law studies.
  • His poems made him the pet of the aristocracy, which led him to more fruitful tasks.

1720

  • In 1714-1735, Southern Italy was part of Austria, and Metastasio was commissioned by Emperor Charles VI to write a serenade; he also sang the emperor's praises in his cantata Endimione. This imperial occasion brought Metastasio to fame in various ways.

1721-1728

  • Metastasio wrote libretti to operas Gli orti esperidi, Didone abbandonata, Siroe, Cantone Utica, Ezio, Semiramide, Alessandro nell' Indie and Artaserse.
  • He collaborated with singers Farinelli and Marianna Bent-Bulgarelli. He also collaborated with composers Porpora, Hasse, Leo, Vinci, and Pergolesi.

1729

  • He was summoned to become the Imperial Poet Laureate - poeta cesarea – in Vienna.

1730-1740

  • The imperial tradition was to commission a new opera seria for every major family occasion. Prior to the emperor's death in 1740, Metastasio wrote 11 drammi per musica: Demetrio, Issipile, Adriano in Siri, L'Olimpiade, La Clemenza di Tito, Achille in Sciro, Ciro riconoscinto, Temistocle, Zenobia and Attilio Regolo.
  • The ten years in Vienna were Metastasio's time of glory; Demetrio by itself was an unforgettable success. Metastasio considered Attilio Regolo (1740) his best play.
  • The court in Vienna spoke Italian, which made Metastasio feel at home in Austria.

1741-1782

  • His friendship with two Mariannas was an important health factor for Metastasio.
  • He was inaugurated as poet laureate by Marianna von Althann. She was a friend, counsellor, and patroness with enormous wit and an extensive education. Metastasio dedicated his Endimione to Marianna, and their deep friendship lasted till her death in 1755.
  • Marianna Martinez was a lady born in 1745. She was musically gifted, and with Metastasio's permission took lessons from both Haydn and Porpora.
  • When the emperor died, his daughter Maria Theresa took the throne and led the nation to an expensive war.
  • Metastasio left his office in 1771 after having completed eight dramas: Antigono, Ipermestra, Il re pastore, L'eroe cinese, Nitteti, Il trionfo di Clelia, Romolo ed Ersilia and Ruggiero.
  • Metastasio wrote a total of 27 drammi per musica and a number of short pieces for theatre, eight oratorios, and various poems, several of which were sonnets.
  • In 1745-1749, he translated poetry as opera commissions were scarce.
  • Metastasio was an avid correspondent; 2654 letters from 1715-1783 survived, less than a fifth of which were written to his brother Leopoldo Trapassi in Rome An interesting exchange of letters was also conducted between Metastasio and Farinello.
  • Empress Maria Theresa, a skilled singer in her youth, had a keen appreciation of her poet laureate; she wanted to knight him with the Royal Hungarian Order of St Stefan. Also a crowning in Rome was planned, but Metastasio rejected all ceremonies.
  • After the empress's death in 1780, the poet lost his zest for life.
  • Metastasio died on 12 April 1782.
  • Approximately 1200 compositions have been written to his libretti by Bellini, Donizetti, Rossini, Buononcini, Caccini, Caldera, Carissimi, Durante, Frescobaldi, Giordani, Händel, Marcello, Scarlatti, J.S. Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Purcell, Weyse, Lindblad, and Kjerulf.

Source
Forshufvud, G. 1994. Con lieve fiato. Lärarhandledning till Nicola Vaccajs Metodo pratico. Göteborgs universitetet.