Sheet music
Serse, HWV 40: Atto I. Arioso "Ombra mai fù" (Serse)
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Sheet Music Direct Affiliate partner
Original listing detailsMelody Line · Lyrics · Chords | Check price | View |
Virtual Sheet Music Affiliate partner
Original listing detailsChoir · Piano · Duets | $2.99 Date unavailable | View |
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About this piece
Serse, HWV 40: Atto I. Arioso "Ombra mai fù" (Serse) is a work by George Frideric Handel. Editions in our index are scored for piano, organ, guitar and cello. We track 146 editions for sale priced between $2.99 and $50.50, from Sheet Music Direct, Virtual Sheet Music, Musicnotes and Sheet Music Plus. Those figures were recorded in March 2012; check the retailer for what it costs today. 23 public-domain archives publish it free of charge, including 8notes, Flutetunes and Cantorion.
Handel’s "Largo", which is not a largo
Ombra mai fù opens Handel's Serse, first performed in London in 1738. Xerxes sings it to a plane tree, in praise of its shade — "never was a shade of any plant dearer, more lovely, or more sweet". The opera was a failure, closing after five performances, and this is essentially the only part of it that survived in the repertoire.
It is universally sold as "Handel's Largo", which is doubly misleading. Handel marked it larghetto, a shade quicker, and the aria's whole character is affectionate rather than solemn — Serse is a comedy, and the king is serenading a tree. The slow, reverent performances the "Largo" title encourages are a nineteenth-century invention.
The role was written for a soprano castrato, so modern performances vary widely: countertenor, mezzo, or transposed for tenor or baritone. Instrumental arrangements are common and usually take the vocal line straight. Check the key before buying if you need to match a specific recording or accompanist.
Published in
This piece appears in 57 published collections.
- Mastering the Guitar Book 1B
- Classical Fake Book
- Great Classical Themes - Lower Intermediate
- Opera At The Piano
- The Baroque Era - Intermediate to Advanced Piano Solo
- Classical Repertoire for Flute Volume One
- Masterworks for Piano Made Easy to Play - World's Favorite No. 146
- 45 Arias from Operas and Oratorios
Common questions
- How much does Serse, HWV 40: Atto I. Arioso "Ombra mai fù" (Serse) sheet music cost?
- Prices run from $2.99 to $50.50 across 146 retailers. Prices change; the figures shown are the most recent we recorded.
- Is Serse, HWV 40: Atto I. Arioso "Ombra mai fù" (Serse) available for free?
- Yes. 23 archives in our index publish it at no cost, typically as a public-domain scan or engraving. Free editions vary in quality and edition; a paid edition may be easier to read or better fingered.
- What instruments is Serse, HWV 40: Atto I. Arioso "Ombra mai fù" (Serse) arranged for?
- The editions we track are scored for piano, organ, guitar, cello, flute, oboe, violin, voice, double bass, trombone, trumpet, recorder, saxophone and vio. Specific arrangements listed include Melody Line, Lyrics, Chords, Piano and Easy Piano.
Same composer