Pietro Metastasio

Born in Rome as Pietro Antonio Domenico Trapassi in 1698, he showed remarkable talent early, especially for improvised verse. The scholar Gian Vincenzo Gravina became his patron, gave him the Hellenized name "Metastasio," and helped launch the literary career that would make him one of Europe’s best-known poets for the stage.

Metastasio became the defining librettist of opera seria, writing elegant, emotionally clear dramas that were set by many composers over and over again. His librettos circulated so widely that they became a shared foundation of 18th-century musical life, and reference works describe him as the most celebrated or important writer in this form.

After working in Italy, he settled in Vienna, where he served as imperial court poet for much of his life and remained there until his death in 1782. His long career linked Roman literary culture, Neapolitan opera, and the Habsburg court, giving his work an influence that lasted well beyond his own century.