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| Xerxes I |
Xerxes I of Persia (English: /ˈzɜrksiːz/), Persian: خشایارشا Ḫšayāršā, IPA: [xʃajaːrʃaː], Hebrew: אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ, Modern Aẖashverosh Tiberian ʼĂḥašvērôš), also known as Xerxes the Great, was the fifth Zoroastrian king of kings of the Achaemenid Empire.
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| Handel's "Xerxes", Houston Grand Opera |
Xerxes is an opera seria in three acts by George Frideric Handel. It was first performed in London on 15 April 1738. The Italian libretto was adapted by an unknown hand from that by Silvio Stampiglia for an earlier opera of the same name by Giovanni Bononcini in 1694. Stampiglia's libretto was itself based on one by Nicolò Minato that was set by Francesco Cavalli in 1654. The opera is set in Persia in 480 BC and is very loosely based upon Xerxes I of Persia.
The opening aria, "Ombra mai fù", sung by Xerxes to a tree (Platanus orientalis), is set to one of Handel's best-known melodies, and is often played in an orchestral arrangement, known as Handel's "largo" (despite being marked "larghetto" in the score). (From Wikipedia)
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