METASTASIO, inhff5-stii'zi-I5 (originally TRAPASSI), PIETRO (1698-1782). One of Italy's most admired poets. He was born at Rome, January 13. 1698, of humble parents, and gave early evidence of his genius by his boyish im provisations. Metastasio having attracted the casual notice of Gravina, a famous jurisconsult of the day, the latter undertook the entire educa tion and career of the youth, whose paternal name of Trapassi had thenceforward the Greek form Metastasio. In 1724 he published one of Iris most celebrated dramas, La abbando mita, which, with 11 ('atone and 11 ,S'iroe. conferred on the poet a European name. In 1730 Meta stasio accepted the post of Court poet at Vienna. During his sojourn in Vienna Metastasio com posed his Giuseppe rironoseinto, 11 Demofoonte, and the Olimpiade. Among the hest of his pieces are the melodramas Clemenza di Tito (1734) and A ttilio Regal°, this latter being usually considered his masterpiece. He died at Vienna. April 12, 1782. Metastasio was distinguished for the generosity, integrity, and candor of his nature. llis works enjoy unexampled popu larity among all grades of his countrymen; in their pure classical subjects and forms the edu cated student tinds instruction and delight while their facile musical grace and verbal simplicity adapt them to the popular appreciation. They
were translated into many languages and set to music by celebrated composers. The best edi tion of Metastasio is that of Paris 112 vols., 1780), with useful supplements in the Opre postame (Vienna. 1795), and in the Floren tine editions of 1820 and 1826. Consult: Ver non Studies of the Eighteenth 'rn fury in /hay (1850) ; Mussafia. Pi( fro .1/c/ostasio (Vi enna. 1852) ; Cardueci. Ertl( re disperse r inedile di Pietro dletastasio ( Bologna, 1883) ; Antona Traversi. Lettere inedite c disperse di Pietro dletastasio, eon an' appeadiec (home, 1850) ; Tommasini. "Pietro .Metastasio e lo svolgimento del melodramma italiano." in his :Willi di scoria eritica (ib.. 1891) : Fla i, lletastasio," in his Parrueelic c Nanculotti acl mcolo FM. 1SS6).