Xerse

Xerse

"Xerse" is an opera by Francesco Cavalli - specifically, a "dramma per musica" about Xerxes I. The libretto was written by Nicolò Minato, and was later set by both Giovanni Bononcini and George Frideric Handel. Minato's plot outline is loosely based on Book 7 of Herodotus's "Histories". The opera, consisting of a prologue and three acts, was first performed at Venice in the January of 1654, at the Teatro SS Giovanni e Paolo.

The opera was highly popular in Italy, not least due to Cavalli's setting of "Ombra mai fù" (later more famously set by Handel): 9 different revivals were given across Italy while Cavalli lived. In 1660 Cavalli was persuaded to travel to France to produce a new opera for the wedding of Louis XIV in Paris. Unfortunately for the composer, he soon became entangled in court intrigue which ensured that the projected opera, "Ercole amante", was not ready in time and had to be replaced by a revival of "Xerse" at the last minute. "Xerse" was given with ballets by Cavalli's rival Jean-Baptiste Lully, a Florentine who had become the official court composer in France. The whole spectacle lasted eight or nine hours and the French audience had little appreciation for an opera in a foreign language, preferring Lully's dance music.

Roles

Recording

*"Xerse" René Jacobs, Judith Nelson, Isabelle Poulenard, Guy de Mey, Dominique Visse, Concerto Vocale, conducted by René Jacobs (4 CDs, Harmonia Mundi, 1985)

References

*GroveOnline|Xerse (i)|Martha Novak Clinkscale|31 August|2007
*Booklet notes to the Jacobs recording.


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  • Xerse (Bononcini) — Xerse (Xerxes) is an opera in three acts by Giovanni Bononcini. It was designated as a dramma per musica . The libretto was written by Silvio Stampiglia after that by Nicolò Minato which had been used for the 1654 opera of the same name by… …   Wikipedia

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  • Giovanni Battista Bononcini — (18 July 1670 9 July 1747) was an Italian Baroque composer and cellist, one of a family of string players and composers. His father, Giovanni Maria Bononcini ((1642 78), was a violinist and a composer.BiographyGiovanni Battista Bononcini was born …   Wikipedia

  • Xerxes I of Persia — ] , foretelling his invasion of Greece. The reference to Darius the son of Ahasuerus in , in turn corresponding to Babylonian ak. Aḫšiyaršu .All of these names originate with Old Persian pe. Xšayāršā .In the Book of EstherFor these same reasons… …   Wikipedia

  • The opera corpus — is a list of nearly 2,500 works by more than 775 individual opera composers. Some of the works listed below are still being performed today   but many are not. The principal works of the major composers are given as well as those of historical… …   Wikipedia

  • Giovanni Battista Lulli — Jean Baptiste Lully (ursprünglich Giovanni Battista Lulli; * 28. November 1632 in Florenz; † 22. März 1687 in Paris) war ein Komponist italienischer Herkunft, der den größten Teil seines Lebens für den Hof Ludwigs XIV. arbeitete. Er wurde 1661… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Jean-Baptiste Lully — (ursprünglich Giovanni Battista Lulli; * 28. November 1632 in Florenz; † 22. März 1687 in Paris) war ein italienischer Komponist, der den größten Teil seines Lebens für den Hof Ludwigs XIV. arbeitete. Er wurde 1661 französisc …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Jean Baptiste Lully — (ursprünglich Giovanni Battista Lulli; * 28. November 1632 in Florenz; † 22. März 1687 in Paris) war ein Komponist italienischer Herkunft, der den größten Teil seines Lebens für den Hof Ludwigs XIV. arbeitete. Er wurde 1661 französischer Bürger.… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Francesco Cavalli — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Cavalli. Francesco Cavalli Francesco Cavalli, de son vrai nom Pier Francesco Caletti Bruni (né le 14 février 1602 à …   Wikipédia en Français

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