Il Xerse

See also: Xerxes

Title page of the original libretto

Il Xerse, usually written Xerse (English: Xerxes; French: Xerxès), is an Italian 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 (Xerse, 1694) and George Frideric Handel (Serse, 1738). Minato's plot outline is loosely based on Book 7 of Herodotus's Histories. The opera, consisting of a prologue and three acts, was composed in 1654 and first performed on 12 January 1655 at the Teatro SS. Giovanni e Paolo in Venice.[1] It was dedicated to the Ferrarese nobleman Marchese Cornelio Bentivoglio.[2]

  1. ^ Brown 1993. Clinkscale (1992) gives the year as 1654, which is what is shown in the original libretto. However, the New Year in Venice at the time was celebrated on March 1, so the year by the Gregorian calendar was actually 1655 (see more veneto).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference ds12 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).