In his time, Johann Adolph Hasse was at the forefront of Italian opera. Although he composed a fair amount of sacred works, he is best known for his operatic production. It was very popular throughout Italy and Germany and was commissioned by courts and opera houses throughout Europe. His performances featured cultural figures of the time, as well as some of the biggest names in common-era music today. In his later life, styles changed and so Hasse's success waned after his death. But generations later, he was re-established as a leading figure and icon of early Italian classical opera, a designation he holds today. Biography and musical production Johann Adolph Hasse was born on March 25, 1699 in Bergedorf, Germany. His family were German church musicians, and Hasse received his early musical education from his father. His great-grandfather, Peter Hasse, had once held the position of organist at the Marienkirche in Lübeck and had gained some attention as a composer. Johann's grandfather, father and brother each held the position of organist in Bergedorf. Due to family connections, his father was a trustee of a local charity aimed at the poor of Bergedorf and it was this charity that allowed the fifteen-year-old Hasse to travel to Hamburg to study singing between 1714 and 1717. Being a tenor talented, he chose a theatrical career and in 1718 came under the operatic guidance of Richard Keiser at the Hamburg Opera. Hasse's success led to a performance at the court of Brunswick, and it was there that he made his debut as a composer with the opera Antioch in 1723. The success of this first work earned him the favor of the duke who eventually sent Hasse in Italy to complete his studies, and in... half of the paper... tion through the selection of voice and harmonic function. Hasse returned to his celebrated status as we remember him in modern times for his influence and formation of the classical operatic form. Works Cited Drummond, Pippa; “The Concertos of Johann Adolf Hasse.” Proceedings of the Royal Musical Association, vol. 99, Ed. 1, 1972. Anderson, Rick. "Johann Adolf Hasse. (Sound Recording Reviews)." Notes 58.4 (2002): 902. Academic OneFile. Network. March 14, 2014.Charlton, David. “Johann Adolf Hasse” 2000. Classic network. 2000. Network. March 14, 2014."Johann Adolph Hasse". Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica online. Encyclopedia Britannica Inc., 2014. Web. 14 March 2014 “Johanne Adolphe Hasse”. NNDB. NNDB online. Soylent Communications, 2014. Web. 14 March 2014. Janice B. Stockigt, Jan Dismas Zelenka, 1679 – 1745: A Bohemian Musician at the Court of Dresden (Oxford, 2000)