# Johann Adolph Hasse



## Il Seraglio

In many ways the archetypal opera seria composer. Hugely successful in his time, particularly in Naples and his music features in the famous biopic of Farinelli. He was also said to be a good friend of J.S. Bach. His style is typical of opera seria, with very little ensemble singing and pleasant melodies, heavily laden with trills and ornamentation suggesting music written for singing virtuosos to show off.

Not long ago, I purchased a CD recording of Cleofide second hand (it's sadly out of print for now). It's a world premiere recording from the late 1980's by William Christie and the first full-length recording of any Hasse opera to be released so stands as something of a landmark. Although the libretto was heavily modified, Hasse's music was the librettist Metastasio's favourite score for his work, who preferred it to Handel's Poro. Owing to its time, the counter-tenors and male sopranos are a little rusty, but everybody gets an A+ for effort.

Although Hasse hasn't left the legacy that Handel (who mastered opera seria) and Gluck (who reformed it) did, there is still a lot to be discovered and enjoyed in his music.

Any other admirers?


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## HarpsichordConcerto

Agree with your post. Hasse was essentially a composer for the human voice; the archetypal opera seria composer as you described. His instrumental pieces that I have listened to are vocal in idiom, just like his great contemporary, Handel. (I'm afraid you probably won't get very many posts here as TC seems to have members who have a preference for later music, especially Romantic).

I have _Cleofide_, which I enjoy. There is another opera, _Piramo e Tisbe_ (1768) performed by Frankfurt La Stagione/Michael Schneider (on period instruments), that you could add to available operas.

The recording industry is a bit funny: they prefer to record much more of Hasse's sacred music than his operas, which probably suggests that consumers are willing to listen to unkown Baroque sacred music than unkown opera seria as that's where the demand is.


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## StlukesguildOhio

I have a number o Hasse recordings... and quite enjoy all that I have yet heard. Among the discs I have:




























As HC noted, it seems the recording companies are more willing to record Hasse's sacred choral music than his operas... in spite of the fact that it is the operas upon which his fame rested. Indeed, his choral works strike me as quite theatrical... operatic in themselves.

I have noted that the Christie disc in no longer in print, but highlights from it are available:










As is this operatic release:


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## Il Seraglio

Yeah, I've noticed more of his sacred works are available too. I also own the Salve Regina recording myself. The Sinfonia in C is in fact Cleofide's overture. Although there might well be a bigger market for sacred music from the 18th century, I think there is also the fact that recording an opera is just that much more expensive.

I'm sure Piramo e Tisbe and Marc Antony e Cleopatra won't disappoint when I get around to hearing them and thanks for the heads up about both. I'd also recommend these compilations for anybody interested in Hasse and other composers from the Neapolitan opera houses.


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## Geronimo

I only discovered Hasse recently thanks to this cd, that includes his "Salva regina". I really liked it, so the recommendations mentioned above are appreciated.


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## HarpsichordConcerto

If anyone is interested in his chamber music, then there is this recording of his trio sonatas to try out. Played by Epoca Barocca (on period instruments).


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## StlukesguildOhio

Il Seraglio said:


> Yeah, I've noticed more of his sacred works are available too. I also own the Salve Regina recording myself. The Sinfonia in C is in fact Cleofide's overture. Although there might well be a bigger market for sacred music from the 18th century, I think there is also the fact that recording an opera is just that much more expensive.
> 
> I'm sure Piramo e Tisbe and Marc Antony e Cleopatra won't disappoint when I get around to hearing them and thanks for the heads up about both. I'd also recommend these compilations for anybody interested in Hasse and other composers from the Neapolitan opera houses.


I just recently picked up the second of these two discs which I quite enjoyed. I am thrilled with a good many of the current recorded recitals by singers which explore less-than-familiar territory. I will surely be looking into the other disc, _LAVA_, soon.


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## Ingélou

YouTube features Hasse in bits and pieces - here's L'Armonica, a Cantata for soprano, glass harmonica and orchestra (1769)






Now I'll have to find out what a 'glass harmonica' is. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glass_harmonica
Fascinating - and it sounds *magical*. (The rest of the video seems a bit 'par for the course' as far as I'm concerned.)


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## Ingélou

Also on YouTube -
Zenobia - 




Mass in D, 1751:





Mass in G Minor:





Johann Adolph Hasse (1699 1783) „Der Traum des Scipio"





Johann Adolph Hasse - Marc'Antonio & Cleopatra 1° parte


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## Manxfeeder

Hasse wrote the most jolly requiem I've ever heard (the one in C). Just listen to its first few notes.


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## Bulldog

I consider Hasse among the upper echelon of Baroque composers; that includes his operas.


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## Musicaterina

On this CD, there is the world premiere recording of a cello concerto by Johann Adolph Hasse played by Jan Vogler and the Münchener Kammerorchester conducted by Reinhard Goebel:


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## hammeredklavier

Bulldog said:


> I consider Hasse among the upper echelon of Baroque composers; that includes his operas.


Isn't he too late in timeline to be considered baroque, though? His final masterpiece, Missa ultima in G minor (1783) sounds classical to me.



Manxfeeder said:


> Hasse wrote the most jolly requiem I've ever heard (the one in C). Just listen to its first few notes.


Michael Haydn quotes a cantus firmus from this work in his requiem.


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## Ingélou

hammeredklavier said:


> Isn't he too late in timeline to be considered baroque, though? His final masterpiece, Missa ultima in G minor (1783) sounds classical to me.


I suppose style always overlaps at the borders. He's one of last entries in the Wiki short-list of 50 Baroque Composers - after him come Carlos Seixas, Baldassari Galuppi, and J-B Pergolesi.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Baroque_composers


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