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Overview

Synopsis

On hearing a beautiful voice singing in the garden King Serse, naturally, falls in love. The fact that he is already engaged, and that the singer is actually in love with his brother, are completely irrelevant. He will simply banish his brother, and make the girl’s father an offer he could never refuse. With a plan as stable as his one for the bridge of boats across the Hellespont, Serse never imagines that he will fail.

What he does not expect to encounter is the strength of true love. His brother Arsamene and his beloved Romilda are destined to be together. Some misdirected messages, a couple of disguises, and an accidental marriage later, and King Serse is left fuming and with no friends. How will he redeem himself, and save himself from the vengeance of his betrayed fiance?

With one of Handel’s most well-known melodies as it’s opening aria, Serse is a delightfully silly romantic comedy much like the comic operas of Handel’s successors, Mozart and Rossini.

Show Information

Category
Opera
Age Guidance
Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
Number of Acts
3
First Produced
1738
Genres
Comedy
Settings
Period, Multiple Settings
Time & Place
Persia, 470 BC, Iran
Cast Size
medium
Orchestra Size
Small
Dancing
None
Licensor
None/royalty-free
Ideal For
College/University, Mostly Female Cast, Professional Opera, Includes Young Adult, Adult, Mature Adult Characters, Medium Cast

Context

Plot

Characters

Name Part Size Gender Vocal Part

Serse / Xerxes

Lead

Either Gender

Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Countertenor

Arsamene

Lead

Either Gender

Mezzo-Soprano, Countertenor

Romilda

Lead

Female

Soprano

Atalanta

Lead

Female

Soprano

Amastre

Supporting

Female

Mezzo-Soprano, Contralto

Ariodate

Supporting

Male

Bass

Elviro

Supporting

Male

Baritone, Bass, Bass-Baritone

Chorus

Ensemble

Either Gender

Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Tenor, Baritone, Bass, Contralto

Songs

Overture

Act One

Scene One

Scene Two

  • Recitative ‘Siam giunti, Elviro’ - Arsamene, Elviro
  • No. 2 Sinfonia and Recitative ‘Sento soave concento’ - Arsamene, Elviro
  • No. 3 Arioso and recitative ‘O voi che penate’ - Romilda, Arsamenes, Elviro, Xerxes

Scene Three

Scene Four

  • Recitative ‘Arsamene!’ - Romilda, Arsamene, Atalanta
  • No. 6 Aria ‘Si, si mio ben’ - Atalanta
  • Recitative ‘Presto, Signor’ - Elviro, Arsamenes

Scene Five

Scene Six

  • Recitative ‘Bellissima Romilda’ - Serse
  • No. 8 Aria ‘Di tacere e di schernirmi’ - Serse

Scene Seven

  • Recitative ‘Aspide sono’ - Romilda
  • No. 9 Aria ‘Ne men con l’ombre’ - Romilda

Scene Eight

  • No. 10 Aria ‘Se cangio spoglia, non cangio core’ - Amastre

Scene Nine

  • Recitative ‘Pugnammo, amici’ - Ariodate, Amastre
  • No. 11a Chorus ‘Già la tromba, che chiamo’ - Soldiers

Scene Ten

  • Recitative ‘Ecco, Serse, o che volto’ - Amastre, Serse, Ariodate
  • No. 12 Aria ‘Soggetto al mio volere’ - Ariodate
  • No. 11b Chorus ‘Già la tromba, che chiamo’ - Soldiers

Scene Eleven

  • Recitative ‘Queste vittorie, io credo’ - Serse, Amastris
  • No. 13 Aria ‘Piu che penso alle fiamme’ - Serse

Scene Twelve

  • Recitative ‘Eccoti il foglio, Elviro’’ - Arsamene, Elviro
  • No. 14 Arietta ‘Signor, Signor, lasciate far a me’ - Elviro
  • No. 15 Aria ‘Non so se sia la speme’ - Arsamene

Scene Thirteen

  • Recitative ‘Tradir di reggia sposa’ - Amastre
  • No. 16 Aria ‘Sapra delle mie offese’ - Amastre

Scene Fourteen

  • Recitative ‘Al fin sarete sposa’ - Atalanta, Romilda
  • No. 17 Aria ‘Se l’idol mio’ - Romilda

Scene Fifteen

  • Recitative ‘Per rapir quel tesoro’ - Atalanta
  • No. 18 Aria ‘Un cenno leggiadretto’ - Atalanta

Act Two

Scene One

  • No. 19 Arioso ‘Speranze mie fermate’ - Amastre
  • No. 20 Arioso ‘Ah! Chi voler fiora?’ - Elviro
  • Recitative ‘E chi direbbe mai?’ - Elviro, Amastre
  • No. 21 ‘Or che siete speranze tradite’ - Amastre

Scene Two

  • Recitative ‘Quel curioso e partito’ - Elviro
  • No. 22 Arioso and Recitative ‘A piangere ogn’ora Amor mi destina’ - Atalanta, Elviro
  • No. 23 Arietta ‘Ah! Tigre infedele’ - Elviro
  • Revitative ‘Parti; il Re s’avvicina’ - Atalanta, Elviro

Scene Three

  • Recitative ‘Con questo foglio’ - Atalanta
  • No. 24 Arioso ‘E tormento troppo fiero’ - Serse
  • Recitative ‘Di quel foglio, Atalanta?’ Serse, Atalanta
  • No. 25a Aria ‘Dira che amore per me’ - Atalanta
  • Recitative ‘Voi quel foglio lasciate’ - Serse, Atalanta
  • No. 25b Aria ‘Dira che non m’amo’ - Atalanta

Scene Four

  • Recitative ‘Ingannata Romilda!’ - Serse, Romilda
  • No. 26 Duet ‘L’amerete?’ - Serse, Romilda
  • No. 27 Aria ‘Se bramate d’amar, chi vi sdegna’ - Serse

Scene Five

  • No. 28a Recitativo accompagnato ‘L’amero?’ non fia vero’ - Romilda
  • No. 28b Aria ‘E gelosia quella tiranna’ - Romilda

Scene Six

Scene Seven

  • Recitative ‘E passo affe!’ - Elviro, Arsamene
  • No. 30 Aria ‘Quella che tutta fe’ - Arsamene

Scene Eight

  • No. 31a Chorus ‘La virtute sol potea’ - Sailors
  • Recitative ‘Ariodate!’ - Serse, Ariodate
  • No. 31b Chorus ‘La virtute sol potea’ - Sailors

Scene Nine

  • No. 32 Arioso ‘Per dar fine alla mia pena’ - Arsamene
  • Recitative ‘Arsamene, ove andate?’ - Serse, Arsamene
  • No. 33 Aria ‘Si, la voglio’ - Arsamene

Scene Ten

  • Recitative ‘V’inchino, eccelso Re’ - Atalanta, Serse
  • No. 34 Aria ‘Voi me dite che non l’ami’ - Atalanta
  • Recitative ‘Saria lieve ogni doglia’ - Serse
  • No. 35 Aria ‘Il core spera e teme’ - Serse

Scene Eleven

  • Recitative ‘Me infelice’ - Elviro
  • No. 36 ‘Del mio caro baco amabile’ - Elviro

Scene Twelve

  • No. 37 Duet ‘Gran pena e gelosia’ - Serse, Amastre
  • Recitative ‘Aspra sorte!’ - Serse, Amastre

Scene Thirteen

  • Recitative ‘Romilda; e sara ver’ - Serse
  • No. 38 Arietta ‘Val piu contento core’ - Romilda
  • Recitative ‘Vuo ch’abbian fine’ - Serse, Romilda, Amastre

Scene Fourteen

  • Recitative ‘La fortuna, la vita’ - Amastre, Romilda
  • No. 39 Aria ‘Chi cede al furore’ - Romilda

Act Three

No. 40 Sinfonia

Scene One

  • Recitative ‘Sono vani i pretesti’ - Arsamene, Romilda, Elviro

Scene Two

  • Recitative ‘Ahi! Scoperto e l’inganno!’ - Atalanta, Elviro, Arsamene, Romilda
  • No. 41 Arietta ‘No, no, se tu mi sprezzi’ - Atalanta

Scene Three

  • Recitative ‘Ecco in segno di fe’ - Romilda, Elviro, Arsamene, Serse
  • No. 42 Aria ‘Per rendermi beato’ - Serse

Scene Four

  • Recitative ‘Ubbidiro al mio Re’ - Arsamene, Romilda
  • No. 43 Aria ‘Amor, tiranno Amor’ - Arsamene

Scene Five

  • Recitative ‘Come già vi accennammo’ - Serse, Ariodate
  • No. 44 ‘Del Ciel d’amore sorte si bella’ - Ariodate

Scene Six

  • Recitative ‘Il suo serto rifiuto?’ - Romilda

Scene Seven

  • Recitative ‘Fermatevi, mia sposa’ - Serse, Romilda

Scene Eight

  • Recitative ‘Prode guerrier’ - Romilda, Amastre
  • No. 45 Aria ‘Cagion son io del mio dolore’ - Amastre

Scene Nine

  • Recitative ‘Romilda infida’ - Arsamene, Romilda
  • No. 46 Duet ‘Troppo oltraggi la mia fede’ - Arsamene, Romilda

Scene Ten

  • No. 47a Chorus ‘Cio che Giove’ - Ministers
  • Recitative ‘Ecco lo sposo!’ - Ariodate, Arsamene, Romilda
  • No. 47b Chorus ‘Chi infelice si trovo’ - Ministers

Scene Eleven

Final Scene

  • Recitative ‘Perfidi! E ancor osate’ - Serse, Ariodate, Arsamene, Romilda, Amastre, Elviro, Atalanta
  • No. 49 Aria ‘Caro vio siete all’alma’ - Romilda
  • No. 50 Finale ‘Ritorna a noi la calma’ - Tutti

A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.

Monologues

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Scenes

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Guide Written By:

Wendy Silvester

Wendy Silvester

Singer and vocal coach based in the UK.