What an operatic opening! A king sings of a plane tree and its "dear, sweet, and lovely" shade in enchantingly beautiful tones. The Largo "Ombra mai fu" from the opera Xerxes ( Serse ) of 1738 is among George Frideric Handel's most famous compositions. It is the title character—the Persian king Xerxes—who opens the opera with this heartfelt hymn of praise, but who also reveals choleric tendencies as the plot unfolds. For in addition to this plane tree, the king also loves Romilda, the betrothed of his brother Arsamene, who in turn is loved by Romilda's sister Atalanta.

Lidor Mesika

Events

Upcoming events

Feb 21 - Jun 16, 2027

Xerxes · Bühnen Bern

Future and recently performed repertoire

Arsamene in Xerxes by Handel

Bühnen Bern

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