Johann Adolph Hasse

Johann Adolf Hasse (1699-1783) wrote at least 80 operas, other kinds of theater works, cantatas, sacred music, and a smattering of instrumental works incorporating the flute, written for Frederick the Great of Prussia. He spent much of his life traveling between Germany and Italy, holding simultaneous positions in both countries. His partnering with poet and librettist Pietro Metastasio made them both famous throughout Italy and German-speaking Europe for their opera seria, notably Artaserse and Cleofide. Hasse built his reputation on his ability to compose in a way that favored the voice beautifully without losing the text's meaning or drama.