HMR Project: History of Music & Modern Recording

Johann Adolph Hasse

Birth of Classical Music: Johann Adolph Hasse

Johann Adolph Hasse

Born in Bergedorf, Germany, on 25 March 1699, Johann Adolph Hasse composed operas, oratorios, cantatas, ballads and instrumentals. Albeit a heavyweight during his lifetime for about forty years, he had little posthumous influence. Notable in an account of Hasse is how much traveling he did. From the troubadour to this day, with exceptions like the Church, joining a symphony orchestra or remaining local, it's been largely travel that makes a musician's career and travel that wears a musician out (touring). The stars of Hasse's day, such as prima donnas like Faustina and primo uomos, generally tenors, didn't die in automobile or airplane accidents like rock n roll stars in the 20th century. But it was a bumpy ride to haul oneself and one's effects overland by coach. The great commercial expansion that occurred in Europe during the Baroque period had been assisted by improvements in roads and the development of the coach especially during the period of the reign (1643–1715) of Louis XIV in France. Royalty and other of the wealthy required quick mail and it was during this period that coaches acquired glass windows. If you were a horse, of course, you could prefer at least an apple to have to pull such vehicles. Even if you didn't have to drag something behind you a strong rider might make you trot several hours a day at about nine miles per hour, that to cover above twice the distance that a rider with no apple could have walked in good climate on easy terrain. Just how Hasses traveled overland during different periods of his life isn't identified. He never went to Russia so the troika can be eliminated. Nor did he ever travel so fast, since the troika sleigh pulled by three horses without four wheels to turn could slip across land approaching thirty miles per hour, which was a good thing because to travel somewhere in Russia could mean a long way to go. Hasse married Faustina in Venice in 1730, prior to which he might easily have gotten about during his twenties on horseback owned or rented, or by walking many a mile. Howsoever, Venice is where Hasse finally put away his traveling shoes above four decades later to there spend the last ten years of his life, most of them with Faustina.

Faustina Bordoni

Prima donna and wife to Hasse

Painting by Ludovico Mazzanti 1740

Source: Wikipedia

Hasse joined the Hamburg Opera in 1718. He took a singing position at the court of Brunswick the next year. While there he produced his first opera seria, 'Antioco', in 1721, with libretto by Apostolo Zeno and Pietro Pariati. Hasse left Germany in 1722 to destinations in Venice and Italy before arriving in Naples about 1724, there to premiere his serenata commissioned by a banker, 'Antonio e Cleopatra' (audio / IMSLP), in 1725. The libretto for that was written by Francesco Ricciardi. The serenata is a baroque cantata for instruments and voice performed outdoors in the evening, often with orchestration too large for performing indoors, nor staged in all the fullness of an opera.

'Antonio e Cleopatra' Serenata by Johann Adolph Hasse

Premiere in Naples in September 1725 w libretto by Francesco Ricciardi

Le Musiche Nove directed by Claudio Osele 2014

Hasse's next opera seria, 'Sesostrate', premiered on 13 May 1726, the first of several for royalty in Naples, Naples under jurisdiction of Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI at the time. 'Sesostrate' had been performed for the 9th birthday of Princess Maria Theresa at the Teatro San Bartolomeo in Naples, commissioned by the Duke of Brunswick (Lower Saxony).

Among Hasse's more popular pieces was his 'La Contadina' of 1728 containing two intermezzi (intermissions inserted into operas). Other among his Neapolitan operas was 'Attalo, re di Bitinia', premiering in May of 1728, followed by 'L'Ulderica' and his comedy, 'La sorella amante', in 1729. Hasse's last of eleven operas performed in the first of two periods in Naples also premiered in 1729, 'Il Tigrane' and 'L'Emma'.

Hasse left Naples in 1730 to visit the Carnival of Venice. The opera that he there premiered in February, 'Artaserse' [IMSLP / Wikipedia], was his first with librettist, Metastasio. Among the various librettists with whom Hasse worked (Pallavicino, Pasquini, et al) Metastasio was the main. Writing operas was to bring Metastasio major literary acclaim. Wikipedia has him collaborating with Hasse on 36 operas to as late as 'Il Ruggiero' in 1771 with Metastasio borrowing from Ariosto's original text. Librettists borrowed from Metastasio for three other of Hasse's operas as well.

Hasse's visit to Venice was that time long enough to stage another opera in May of 1730, 'Dalisa' with libretto by Domenico Lalli after Nicolò Minato. Circa 25 June of 1730 Hasse married the soprano, Faustina Bordoni. Hasse and Faustina worked together for the next twenty years until her retirement in the early fifties. James Manheim at All Music has Hasse's best-known Miserere (Psalm 51), 'Miserere in C minor', composed in association with the Ospedale degli Incurabili perhaps as early as 1730 or 1731. IMSLP places this later in 1735. Howsoever, the Ospedale degli Incurabili was a Venetian girls' orphanage where musical performances were given at San Salvatore which church was annexed to the hospital. I've not been able to learn when Hasse composed his 'Miserere in D minor', but he would check in with this hospital for another half century upon his several visits to Venice before making it home for the last ten years of his life. That 'Miserere in D minor' was written sometime during those fifty years is the most exact date that I can lend, the equivalent of unknown.

'Miserere in D minor' Movements 1, 3 and 6 of 6 Miserere by Johann Adolph Hasse

Date of composition for the Ospedale degli Incurabili in Venice undetermined Text: Psalm 51

Taipei City University Conductor: Chen Lifen 26 November 2015

Leaving Venice to work in Vienna briefly in 1731, Bordoni and Hasse arrived to the court of Elector Augustus II the Strong in Dresden (Saxony) where Hasse became kapellmeister that year. 'Cleofide' premiered on 13 September 1731 [IMSLP / Wikipedia]. The libretto for that was by Michelangelo Boccardi after Metastasio's 'Alessandro nell'Indie'. Soon departing Dresden, though to return, Hasse spent nigh the rest of his entire career on tour to theatres in locations like Turin, Rome, Venice, Naples, Pesaro and Warsaw. In the meantime Augustus II was succeeded by Frederick Augustus II (Augustus III of Poland) in 1733. Hasse became maestro di cappella at the Ospedale degli Incurabili perhaps as early as 1735. IMSLP has him premiering his 'Didone Abbandonata' at the Hubertusburg of Charles II in Saxony nine years later on 7 October 1742, in Dresden on 4 February 1743 [IMSLP / Wikipedia].

'Didone Abbandonata' Opera seria by Johann Adolph Hasse

Premiere in Hubertusburg on 7 October 1742

Premiere of version 2 in Dresden on 4 February 1743

Libretto by Francesco Algarotti from Metastasio

Royal Opera of Versailles in Paris Conductor: Michael Hofstetter 2012

It was Venice again in 1744 for 'Semiramide Riconosciuta'. It was Dresden again for the premiere of 'La Spartana Generosa' on 14 June of 1747. It was also 1747 in Dresden that the new position of Oberkapellmeister was created for Hasse, Nicola Porpora appointed Kapellmeister. In 1750 Hasse visited Paris to stage his earlier 'Didone Abbandonata'.

Another trip to Venice witnessed 'Il ciro riconosciuto' staged in 1751, the year Faustina retired from the stage while continuing to receive her salary from Frederick Augustus until his death twelve years later. 'L'Eroe Cinese' ('The Chinese Hero') premiered in Hubertusburg on 7 October 1753 with a libretto by Metastasio, this opera seria dedicated to Frederick Augustus II [IMSLP / Wikipedia].

'L'Eroe Cinese' Opera seria by Johann Adolph Hasse

Premiere in Hubertusburg on 7 October 1753 w libretto by Metastasio

Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra Director: Ton Koopman 1985

Due to the Seven Years War [History / Wikipedia] fought between England and France in both Europe and North America the court in Dresden was relocated to Warsaw, Poland, in 1756. Hasse was back in Naples in 1758 to stage a third version of Metastasio's 'Demofoonte' (first performed in 1748 in Dresden, revised for the Carnival of Venice in 1749). Hasse's manuscripts were destroyed by fire in the unsuccessful Prussian siege of Dresden by Frederick the Great in July of 1760 [Kronoskaf / Wikipedia]. Other of his autographs yet exist in Dresden and Vienna. Hasse's 'Alcide al Bivio' ('Hercules at the Crossroads') with libretto by Metastasio later premiered on 7 October 1760 in Vienna [IMSLP / Wikipedia]. This festa teatrale was in celebration of the marriage of Holy Roman Emperor, Archduke Joseph II, to Princess Isabella Maria of Parma.

'Alcide al Bivio' Festa teatrale by Johann Adolph Hasse

Premiere in Vienna on 7 October 1761 w libretto by Metastasio

Upon the marriage of Holy Roman Emperor Archduke Joseph II w Princess Isabella Maria of Parma

Ensemble La Stagione Frankfurt w the Favorit-und Capellchor Leipzig

Director: Michael Schneider 1998

Hasse's opera seria, 'Zenobia', with libretto by Metastasio saw its first performance during the Carnival of Vienna (Fasching) probably in January 1761, again in Warsaw in October [IMSLP / Wikipedia].

'Zenobia' Opera seria by Johann Adolph Hasse

Premiere in Warsaw on 7 October 1761 w libretto by Metastasio

Warsaw Chamber Opera

Frederick Augustus II died in 1763. His successor, Elector Frederick Christian, found himself faced with financial ruin as a result of the Seven Years War which ended that year. Choosing between frivolity and frugality, he released Hasse from service with two years pay, Faustina as well (already retired), but no pension. The couple then moved to Vienna where Hasse was as popular as ever.

'Partenope' with a libretto by Metastasio premiered in Vienna in September 1767, eleven year-old Mozart in attendance. 'Piramo e Tisbe' arrived in September of 1768 with libretto by Marco Coltellini [IMSLP / Wikipedia]. The cantata, 'L'Armonica' ('Ah perché col canto mio'), with libretto by Metastasio was composed for soprano and glass harmonica invented by American, Benjamin Franklin, in 1761. This premiered in Vienna in 1769.

'Piramo e Tisbe' Intermezzo tragico by Johann Adolph Hasse

Premiere in November 1768 at the Burgtheater in Vienna w libretto by Marco Coltellini

Piramo: Vivica Genaux (mezzosoprano) Tisbe: Desirée Rancatore (soprano)

Europa Galante Director: Fabio Biondi Salzburger Pfingstfestspiele 22 May 2010

'L'Armonica' Cantata by Johann Adolph Hasse

Premiere in 1769 in Vienna w text by Metastasio

Soprano: Ursula Fiedler Concilium Musicum Vienna Conductor: Paul Angerer 2005

Empress Maria Theresa (nine-year old princess above) commissioned 'Il Ruggiero' [IMSLP / Wikipedia] to premiere in Milan in latter 1771, libretto by Metastasio after Ludovico Ariosto. By that time Hasse was above seventy years of age and his slightly younger contemporary, Christoph Willibald Gluck, was pulling Vienna's strings. So he left Vienna in 1773 to teach and compose sacred music in Venice, there to remain for the next ten years while composing for the Ospedale degli Incurabili. Faustina died in Venice in November of 1781, Hasse following on 16 December 1783. He had authored his final mass that year titled 'Missa ultima in G minor'.