Johann Adolf Hasse, Cleofide [opera]

Scope and Content

"CLEOFIDE / Drama per Musica / del / Sigr. G. A. Hasse".

Score. Sinfonia and arias from Johann Adolf Hasse's Cleofide, also known as Alessandro nell'Indie (the Venetian variant of this opera). The text is by M. Boccardi, after Metastasio. Singers are named. First performed at Dresden in 1731; recent research by Roland Dieter Schmidt has confirmed that the Mackworth copy is based on this production. The two final choruses and one aria (Timagene's "Quanto mai felici siete") are lacking in this manuscript. Binding: green-gold board. The title, taken from the title-page, is enclosed in a green cartouche featuring muskets which turn into branches. In a single hand. 7-10 stave MS paper. The instruments are indicated. Bass parts are labelled "cembalo" [hpd] or "basso" [bc], and are not figured. Schmidt notes the "chaotic and incorrect" state of this manuscript, where many of the singers' attributions are incorrect. Information taken from other sources, supplied by Schmidt, is given in square brackets in the note area for each entry.