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Serse, HWV 40: Atto I. Arioso "Ombra mai fù" (Serse)

by George Frideric Handel

PianoOrganGuitarBasso continuoCelloFluteOboeviolinVoicestringsBassoonVocalDouble BassClarinetTromboneTrumpetKeyboardRecorderEuphoniumSaxophoneViola RomanticBaroqueOperaGuitar tabsChristmasScoresTVThanksgiving20th CenturyNew

Where to get it

Arrangement details come from recorded listings. Check the retailer’s current edition before buying.

173 retailer listings for this from $2.99 to $50.50, recorded March 2012. 23 archives offer it free.

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Referenced at

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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 173 editions for sale priced between $2.99 and $50.50, from Virtual Sheet Music, Musicnotes, Sheet Music Plus and SheetMusic2Print. 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 Sheet Music Archive, 8notes and Flutetunes.

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.

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 173 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 Choir, Piano, Duets, Violin and Solo.

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