Grice e Trapassi

 

Pietro Metastasio's real name was 

Pietro Antonio Domenico Trapassi, and he was born in 

Rome

. His oeuvre is important to the history of philosophy because his dramatic works were an artistic reflection of Enlightenment-era political and moral philosophy, particularly concerning absolutist monarchy and the control of human passions through reason. 

Real Name and Place of Birth

• Real Name: Pietro Antonio Domenico Trapassi. The name "Metastasio" was a Greek translation ("crossing") of his original surname suggested by his patron, the influential lawyer and man of letters Gianvincenzo Gravina.
• Place of Birth: 
  Rome
  , Papal States (now Italy). 

Importance in the History of Philosophy

Metastasio's significance in the history of philosophy lies not in his being a philosopher himself, but in how his widely popular opera seria libretti dramatized the prevailing philosophical and political ideas of the European Ancien Régime and the early Enlightenment. 

• Dramatization of Moral Philosophy: His works are seen as a realization on stage of principles found in Cartesian moral philosophy, which emphasized the moral obligation of individuals to control their passions through reason.
• Allegories of Absolutist Monarchy: Writing for the Viennese court, his dramas consistently presented allegories of enlightened leadership and the triumph of virtue, honor, and duty over personal desires and emotional turmoil. The conflicts in his works were primarily psychological, with characters often choosing self-abnegation for the greater good, thus reinforcing the social and political idea that reason and the monarchy brought order to a disordered world.
• Influence on the "Idea of Opera": His dramatic theories, which he expounded upon in works like his Estratto della Poetica d'Aristotele, were influential in establishing a structured and morally focused form of opera that dominated the 18th century. 

While his style fell out of favor by the late 18th century as a reaction against absolutist ideals, his works were essential in shaping the intellectual and artistic expression of the time and were set to music by over 800 composers, including Handel, Mozart, and Gluck.