New production 

Serse is one of the few Handel operas to be considered an opera buffa since it includes comic elements. Persian King Xerxes and his brother Arsamene are both in love with Romilda. Romilda being in love with Arsamene, Xerxes banishes him. Romilda’s sister, Atalanta, also in love with Arsamene, hatches a plot for Romilda to become Xexes wife. Finally, with Ariodate marrying Arsamene and Romilda the opera has a happy ending. The amazing opening aria “Ombra mai fu” is said to be one of Handel’s most famous, also known as larghetto. Followed by a series of arias and arioso considered among the best in the world of opera: arioso of Romilda, arioso of Romilda and Xerxes in Act II, aria “Che cede al furore” of Romilda at the end of Act II, aria of Xexes “Crude furie degl’orridi abissi” in Act III and the long arioso of Atalanta “Voi mi dite”. Serse is considered several times to be a Mozart like opera by the famous Handel musicologist Winton Dean with Romilda reminding Konstanze from The Abduction from the Seraglio and Atalanta reminding Susanna from The Marriage of Figaro.