Serse
Work data | |
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Title: | Xerxes |
Original title: | Serse |
Title page of the libretto, London 1738 |
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Shape: | Opera seria |
Original language: | Italian |
Music: | georg Friedrich Handel |
Libretto : | unknown |
Literary source: | Nicolò Minato , Il Xerse (1654) and Silvio Stampiglia (1694) |
Premiere: | April 15, 1738 |
Place of premiere: | King's Theater , Haymarket, London |
Playing time: | 3 hours |
Place and time of the action: | on the Hellespont , around 480 BC Chr. |
people | |
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Serse , German Xerxes ( HWV 40) is an opera ( Dramma per musica ) in three acts by Georg Friedrich Handel and, alongside Julius Caesar, one of the most frequently performed Handel operas in modern times.
Emergence
Cast of the premiere
- Serse - Gaetano Majorano, called " Caffarelli " ( castrated soprano )
- Arsamene - Maria Antonia Marchesini , called "La Lucchesina" ( old )
- Amastre - Antonia Margherita Merighi (Alto)
- Romilda - Élisabeth Duparc , called "La Francesina" (soprano)
- Atalanta - Margherita Chimenti , called "La Droghierina" (soprano)
- Ariodate - Antonio Montagnana ( bass )
- Elviro - Antonio Lottini (bass)
The contemporary witness John Upton reports that the orchestra and choir were poorly occupied and the Earl of Shaftesbury writes to his cousin, the philosopher James Harris :
Xerxes is beyond all doubt a fine composition. The singers perform it very indifferently which is a great disadvantage to it; the airs too, for brevity's sake as the opera would otherwise be too long fall without any recitativ 'intervening from one into another that tis difficult to understand till it comes by frequent hearing to be well known. My own judgment is that it is a capital opera notwithstanding tis called a ballad one.
“ Xerxes is without a doubt a good composition. However, to their great disadvantage, the singers presented them very uniformly. For the sake of brevity, the arias also merged into one another without recitatives, since otherwise the opera would be too long, so that understanding is difficult or only comes about through frequent listening. My own judgment is that it is a fine opera regardless of the fact that it is called a ballad opera . "
action
first act
In a garden the Persian King Xerxes sings the praises of a plane tree ( ombra mai fù ). Xerxes brother Arsamene and his servant Elviro join them. Arsamene is actually looking for Romilda, whom he loves. Together they hear Romilda sing, and Xerxes, enthusiastic about her voice, wants to take Romilda as his wife. Arsamene reports this to Romilda to warn her of Xerxes' plans. Atalanta finds out and now she hopes that Romilda and Xerxes can marry and that she can start a relationship with Arsamene, whom she loves. When Xerxes realizes that Arsamene is his rival, he banishes him from the royal court. Xerxes then tries in vain to convince Romilda of his love for her.
Amastre, Xerxes' fiancée, comes disguised as a man to get an undetected picture of Xerxes. At the same time, General Ariodate, the father of Romilda and Atalanta, returns from the war with the Persian army. As a reward for his victories in the field, Xerxes promises Ariodate that his daughter Romilda will marry a man from the royal family. Ariodate thinks it is arsamene. As Arsamene goes into exile, Amastre realizes that Xerxes has turned away from her and spoke of himself when he promised Ariodate a husband for his daughter. Arsamene sends Elviro a letter to Romilda, in which he promises to visit her secretly. Meanwhile, Atalanta tries to shake Romilda's love for Arsamene and claims that he has a new lover - but Romilda sees through her sister.
Second act
In the market square, Amastre meets the servant Elviro, disguised as a florist. As the messenger of an exile, he would like to remain anonymous. Amastre learns from Elviro of the planned wedding between Xerxes and Romilda and is desperate. Then Atalanta comes to Elviro and Elviro reveals himself to her. Atalanta promises to deliver the letter to Romilda, and she claims that Romilda has fallen in love with Xerxes after all. Now Xerxes joins them, and Elviro quickly disappears so as not to be recognized. Xerxes notices the letter at Atalanta and demands to read it. He recognizes his brother's handwriting. Atalanta claims that the letter was addressed to her and that Arsamene actually loved her. Atalanta asks the king to intercede for her marriage to Arsamene. Xerxes now shows Romilda's letter as alleged evidence that Arsamene actually loves Atalanta. Romilda remains steadfast and continues to swear allegiance to Arsamene.
On the way to Arsamene, Elviro meets the desperate Amastre again and is barely able to keep her from suicide. Elviro then reports to Arsamene that (as he learned from Atalanta) Romilda now loves Xerxes. Arsamene is deeply disappointed with this news.
King Xerxes and General Ariodate are assembled with the army on the Hellespont, and Xerxes orders the general shortly to cross the newly built bridge to Europe. Then Xerxes meets his exiled brother and wants to bring him good news: he can now marry his true love, Atalanta. But Arsamene is angry and walks away. Xerxes now suspects that Atalanta lied to him. Xerxes meets Amastre, who pretends to be a wounded soldier. Romilda joins them, and Xerxes asks her again to marry him. Angry, Amastre intervenes, calls Xerxes a fraud and draws her sword. She is arrested by the royal guards, but Romilda is able to convince the guards to release her.
Third act
Romilda and Arsamene confront Atalanta, who confesses her lies and promises to look for another man. Xerxes is now again urging Romilda to marry him; Xerxes referred this to her father, who had to give his consent. Xerxes talks to his father Ariodate, who agrees to a wedding. Ariodate continues to think that Arsamene should be the spouse. The increasingly desperate Romilda now claims to Xerxes that she and Arsamene have already made love. Xerxes doesn't believe it, but still orders Arsamenes to be executed. Romilda asks Amastre for help. She is ready to warn Arsamene and in turn asks Romilda to deliver a letter from her to Xerxes. Romilda and Arsamene can meet again and get into an argument, because he believes she has betrayed him after all.
Ariodate lets Romilda and Arsamene come to the temple of the sun. To her pleasant surprise, Ariodate wed the two of them there, believing that this was in accordance with the agreement with the king. When Xerxes found out, he was beside himself. He is also given a letter that should come from Romilda. In the letter he is accused of treason. Even when it becomes clear that the letter is from Amastre, Xerxes cannot calm down. He tells Arsamene to slay Romilda with his sword. Now the still camouflaged Amastre intervenes and asks Xerxes whether treason should really be avenged. When Xerxes confirms this, Amastre reveals her identity as the fiancée of Xerxes herself and points her sword at him. Xerxes asks for forgiveness and confirms his engagement so that in the end Xerxes and Amastre as well as Romilda and Arsamene can be together.
Success and criticism
Friedrich Chrysander wrote the following in 1860, without knowing that Handel had at that time Bononcini's score from his Il Xerse (1694):
“In Handel's music, there appear small ariosis which, according to their composition, could have been written around 1700; presumably he used a composition of his text from earlier times, which then also provided the basis of the buffalo arias. The comic content of these chants cannot be ignored; but Handel ceases to be Handel here. Xerxes has a rather variegated reputation, but not the richness and originality of his best operas. "
orchestra
Two recorders , two oboes , bassoon , two horns , trumpet , strings, basso continuo (violoncello, lute, harpsichord).
Discography (selection)
- Verona 27032-4 (1962): Fritz Wunderlich (Serse), Naan Pöld (Arsamene), Hertha Töpper (Amastre), Jean Cook (Romilda), Ingeborg Hallstein (Atalanta), Karl-Christian Kohn (Ariodate), Max Proebstl (Elviro ). Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra ; Gov. Rafael Kubelík . (181 min, German)
- Westminster XWN 3321 (1965): Maureen Forrester (Serse), Maureen Lehane (Arsamene), Mildred Miller (Amastre), Lucia Popp (Romilda), Marilyn Tyler (Atalanta), Thomas Hemsley (Ariodate), Owen Brannigan (Elviro). Austrian Radio Orchestra; Brian Priestman.
- CBS 79325 (1979): Carolyn Watkinson (Serse), Paul Esswood (Arsamene), Ortrun Wenkel (Amastre), Barbara Hendricks (Romilda), Anne-Marie Rodde (Atalanta), Ulrik Cold (Ariodate), Ulrich Studer (Elviro). La Grande Écurie et La Chambre du Roy ; Dir. Jean-Claude Malgoire . (182 min)
- Philips 070 414 1 (1979): Ann Murray (Serse), Christopher Robson (Arsamene), Jean Rigby (Amastre), Valerie Masterson (Romilda), Lesley Garrett (Atalanta), Rodney Macann (Ariodate), Christopher Booth-Jones (Elviro ). English National Opera Orchestra ; Gov. Charles Mackerras . (Video, 176 min, English)
- Farao 108 101 (1997): Ann Murray (Serse), Christopher Robson (Arsamene), Patricia Bardon (Amastre), Yvonne Kenny (Romilda), Julie Kaufmann (Atalanta), Umberto Chiummo (Ariodate), Jan Zinkler (Elviro). Bavarian State Orchestra Munich; Gov. Ivor Bolton . (172 min)
- Conifer 75605 51312-2 (1997): Judith Malafronte (Serse), Brian Asawa (Arsamene), Susan Bickley (Amastre), Jennifer Smith (Romilda), Lisa Milne (Atalanta), Dean Ely (Ariodate), David Thomas (Elviro) . Hanover Band Brighton; Gov. Nicholas McGegan . (177 min)
- TDK DV-OPSER (2000): Paula Rasmussen (Serse), Ann Hallenberg (Arsamene), Patricia Bardon (Amastre), Isabel Bayrakdarian (Romilda), Sandrine Piau (Atalanta), Marcello Lippi (Ariodate), Matteo Peirone (Elviro). Les Talens Lyrique ; Dir. Christophe Rousset . (DVD, 160 min)
- Virgin Veritas 545711-2 (2003): Anne Sofie von Otter (Serse), Lawrence Zazzo (Arsamene), Silvia Tro Santafé (Amastre), Elisabeth Norberg-Schulz (Romilda), Sandrine Piau (Atalanta), Giovanni Furlanetto (Ariodate), Antonio Abete (Elviro). Les Arts Florissants ; Gov. William Christie . (DVD, 166 min)
literature
- Winton Dean : Handel's Operas, 1726-1741. Boydell & Brewer, London 2006, Reprint: The Boydell Press, Woodbridge 2009, ISBN 978-1-84383-268-3 . (English)
- Silke Leopold : Handel. The operas. , Bärenreiter-Verlag , Kassel 2009, ISBN 978-3-7618-1991-3 .
- Arnold Jacobshagen (ed.), Panja Mücke: The Handel Handbook in 6 volumes. Handel's operas. (Volume 2), Laaber-Verlag, Laaber 2009, ISBN 3-89007-686-6 .
- Bernd Baselt : Thematic-systematic directory. Stage works. In: Walter Eisen (Ed.): Handel Handbook: Volume 1 , Deutscher Verlag für Musik , Leipzig 1978, ISBN 3-7618-0610-8 . Unchanged reprint, Kassel 2008, ISBN 978-3-7618-0610-4 .
- Christopher Hogwood : Georg Friedrich Handel. A biography (= Insel-Taschenbuch 2655). Translated from the English by Bettina Obrecht, Insel Verlag , Frankfurt am Main / Leipzig 2000, ISBN 3-458-34355-5 .
- Paul Henry Lang : Georg Friedrich Handel. His life, his style and his position in English intellectual and cultural life. , Bärenreiter-Verlag , Basel 1979, ISBN 3-7618-0567-5 .
- Albert Scheibler: All 53 stage works by Georg Friedrich Handel, opera guide. , Edition Cologne, Lohmar / Rheinland 1995, ISBN 3-928010-05-0 .
swell
- Christopher Hogwood : Georg Friedrich Handel. A biography (= Insel-Taschenbuch 2655). Translated from the English by Bettina Obrecht, Insel Verlag , Frankfurt am Main / Leipzig 2000, ISBN 3-458-34355-5 .
- Bernd Baselt : Thematic-systematic directory. Stage works. In: Walter Eisen (Ed.): Handel Handbook: Volume 1 , Deutscher Verlag für Musik , Leipzig 1978, ISBN 3-7618-0610-8 . Unchanged reprint, Kassel 2008, ISBN 978-3-7618-0610-4 .
- Editing of the Halle Handel Edition : Documents on life and work. In: Walter Eisen (Hrsg.): Handel manual: Volume 4 , Deutscher Verlag für Musik , Leipzig 1985, ISBN 3-7618-0717-1 .
- Silke Leopold : Handel. The operas. , Bärenreiter-Verlag , Kassel 2009, ISBN 978-3-7618-1991-3 .
- Friedrich Chrysander : GF Handel , second volume, Breitkopf & Härtel , Leipzig 1860.
- Anthony Hicks : "Serse. Handel", RCA 75605513122, London 1998.
- Rudolf Steglich : Xerxes , Halle Handel Edition , German Publishing House for Music , Leipzig 1958, foreword.
- Martin Duncan: Xerxes . Translated from the English by Christian Röthlingshöfer, Bayerische Staatsoper, Munich 2006.
Web links
- Score by Serse (Handel work edition, edited by Friedrich Chrysander , Leipzig 1884)
- Serse : Sheet music and audio files in the International Music Score Library Project
- Libretto by Serse (PDF, 451 kB)
- Additional information about Serse (English)
- Burney over Serse (English)
- Action and background of Serse (English)
- Plot and background of Serse (Italian)
- 7. Book of the Histories of Herodotus (Greek and English) (Chapters 30–39)
- 7. Book of the Histories of Herodotus (German by Johann Eustachius Goldhagen , 1756) (from chapter 31)
- 9. Book of the Histories of Herodotus (German by Johann Eustachius Goldhagen, 1756) (from chapter 106)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Winton Dean : Handel's Operas, 1726-1741. Boydell & Brewer, London 2006. Reprint: The Boydell Press, Woodbridge 2009, ISBN 978-1-84383-268-3 , p. 443.
- ^ Friedrich Chrysander : GF Handel , second volume, Breitkopf & Härtel , Leipzig 1860, p. 448 f.