HASSE, JOHANNES ADOLPH - Enciclopedia Cattolica, Vol. VI, p. 811

Machine translation of the 1948–1954 Italian original. The original text is authoritative.

HASSE, JOHANNES ADOLPH. - Musician, b. at Bergedorf on 25 March 1699, d. at Venice on 16 Dec. 1783. After studying at Hamburg, in 1721 he was engaged at the court theatre in Brunswick, for which he composed several operas. He then came to Italy and at Naples he perfected his art under Porpora and Scarlatti.

His first operas written in Italian met with full success. In 1727 he went to Venice where he taught at the Conservatory. In 1734 he was at Dresden, then at Paris and Vienna and Milan, and again at Vienna where he settled permanently. About 80 are his operas, composed in Italian style, rich in melody. Besides much sacred music, masses, hymns and motets, he wrote 14 oratorios, true models of the genre for the clarity of their musical diction.

Bibl.: F. S. Kandler, Cenni storico-critici intorno alla vita di G. A. H., Venezia 1820; T. Mantovani, Nel centenario di H., in Gazzetta musicale, 48 (1899), p. 45; W. Müller, J. A. H. als Kirchencomponist, Leipzig 1911; L. Kamienski, Die Oratorien von J. A. H., ibid. 1911; B. Zeller, Das Recitativo accompagnato in den Opern H.s., Halle 1912. Silverio Mattei