George Frideric Handel - Largo, Xerxes
Handel's 'Largo' is the popular title for the opening aria composed by George Frideric Handel. He wrote it in 1738 for the opera Serse (English: Xerxes). The opera was a commercial failure, lasting only five performances in London after its premiere. In the 19th century however, nearly 100 years later, the aria was rediscovered and became one of Handel's best-known pieces. Handel adapted the aria from the setting by Giovanni Bononcini, who, in turn, adapted it from the setting by Francesco Cavalli. It became a big hit. It is known by many people as "Ombra mai fu" because those words are the first words of the aria. The title is Italian and means "Never was a shade". The aria is sung by the main character, Xerxes I of Persia whilst he is admiring the shade of a tree. Originally composed to be sung by a soprano castrato (and typically sung in modern performances of Serse by a countertenor, contralto or a mezzo-soprano; sometimes even by a tenor or high baritone an octave below), it has been arranged for other voice types and instruments, including solo organ, solo piano, violin or cello and piano, and string ensembles, often under the title "Largo from Xerxes" or (as in Thornton Wilder's Our Town) simply "Handel's Largo". It is frequently performed at solemn occasions such as funerals and weddings. In the opera, the aria is preceded by a short recitativo accompagnato of 9 bars, setting the scene ("Frondi tenere e belle"). The aria itself is also short; it consists of 52 bars and typically lasts three to four minutes. The original tempo is larghetto (a little slow and solemn). The aria is short at 52 bars in length and lasts around four minutes. Watch in 1080p (Full High Definition) for best quality. Like, Comment, Share and Subscribe :)
Handel's 'Largo' is the popular title for the opening aria composed by George Frideric Handel. He wrote it in 1738 for the opera Serse (English: Xerxes). The opera was a commercial failure, lasting only five performances in London after its premiere. In the 19th century however, nearly 100 years later, the aria was rediscovered and became one of Handel's best-known pieces. Handel adapted the aria from the setting by Giovanni Bononcini, who, in turn, adapted it from the setting by Francesco Cavalli. It became a big hit. It is known by many people as "Ombra mai fu" because those words are the first words of the aria. The title is Italian and means "Never was a shade". The aria is sung by the main character, Xerxes I of Persia whilst he is admiring the shade of a tree. Originally composed to be sung by a soprano castrato (and typically sung in modern performances of Serse by a countertenor, contralto or a mezzo-soprano; sometimes even by a tenor or high baritone an octave below), it has been arranged for other voice types and instruments, including solo organ, solo piano, violin or cello and piano, and string ensembles, often under the title "Largo from Xerxes" or (as in Thornton Wilder's Our Town) simply "Handel's Largo". It is frequently performed at solemn occasions such as funerals and weddings. In the opera, the aria is preceded by a short recitativo accompagnato of 9 bars, setting the scene ("Frondi tenere e belle"). The aria itself is also short; it consists of 52 bars and typically lasts three to four minutes. The original tempo is larghetto (a little slow and solemn). The aria is short at 52 bars in length and lasts around four minutes. Watch in 1080p (Full High Definition) for best quality. Like, Comment, Share and Subscribe :)