Handel: Xerxes (Serse)

Handel: Xerxes (Serse)

  • Overview
  • Cast
  • Crew

Status

Released

Release Date

Sep 14, 2018

Runtime

3h 0m

Genres

Drama, Comedy, Music, History

Original Title

Handel: Xerxes (Serse)

Production Companies

Unitel

Director

Tiziano Mancini

Description

Xerxes is one of Handel’s latest and most frequently performed operas, famous for its marvelous opening aria ‘Ombra mai fu’. At the centre of the confusing tragicomedy, very loosely based upon the life of Xerxes I of Persia, is a powerful and lovesick royal eccentric, King Xerxes. Rising opera star Gaëlle Arquez in the title role of Xerxes ‘scintillates with her nimble, luminous mezzo-soprano’, singing ‘irresistibly beautiful, impassioned, furious – but never mean’ (Frankfurter Rundschau). Frankfurt’s excellent Opera and Museum Orchester contributes ‘all sorts of refinements’ to this ‘musical smash hit’ (Deutschlandfunk) and ‘In Frankfurt Tilman Köhler ensures a three-hour short abundant and furious banquett … a great evening of opera’ (Deutschlandfunk).