Not knowing who kidnapped Aspasia but suspecting an overseas enemy, Atar speaks with the king and begs for justice.

Before Atar leaves, Axur's slave-servant, Biscroma, tells the general that the king has abducted Aspasia and hidden her in the royal harem.

[1] Axur premiered at the Burgtheater in Vienna on 8 January 1788, the title role being sung by Francesco Benucci, Mozart's first Figaro.

[2] Also, the end of the aria "Son Queste Le Speranze" appears briefly at the beginning of the film, Salieri remembering Caterina Cavalieri singing this, as he demonstrates various pieces he wrote to the priest.

In 1984, Sir Neville Marriner recorded two excerpts from Axur, re d'Ormus for the film Amadeus – the aria "Son queste le speranze" and the finale – with the soprano Suzanne Murphy and the Academy and Chorus of St. Martin in the Fields.

The overture was recorded in 1992 by the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra under Michel Dittrich on the Naxos label, and the aria "Son queste le speranze" was recorded in 2014 with the soprano Sen Guo and the Musikkollegium Winterthur under Douglas Boyd on the MDG label.