Demetrio e Polibio was Rossini's first attempt at a full-scale opera, "assembled piecemeal" during his student days at the Philharmonic Academy of Bologna in 1806. Because it was commissioned by tenor Domenico Mombelli (whose wife wrote the libretto) and was performed privately by Mombelli and his two daughters, a performance which Rossini did not attend, it was not his first fully staged opera.

Original Name Demetrio e Polibio
Librettist Vincenzina ViganĂ²-Mombelli
Premiered 1812, May 18th (Teatro Valle) in Rome, Metropolitan City of Rome, Italy
Type Opera
Spoken language Italian
Instruments Voice (Bass) - Polybius, King of Parthia
Voice (Soprano) - Lisinga, Polybius's daughter
Voice (Contralto) - Siveno, Lisinga's lover
Voice (Tenor) - Demetrius, King of Syria, Siveno's estranged father
Orchestra
Chorus/Choir - Mixed Chorus ;
Autotranslations beta Gioachino Rossini: Demetrius and Polybius
Gioachino Rossini: Demetrius and Polybius
Gioachino Rossini: Demetrius and Polybius