Ombra mai fù Georg Friedrich Händel (George Frederic Handel) / Arr. Jos van de Braak

Titel / Title: Ombra mai fù
Untertitel / Subtitle: from the Opera Serse
Herausgeber / Publisher: Baton Music
Instrumentation: Mezzo Soprano and Wind Ensemble
Produkttyp / Product: Partitur + Stimmen
Serie / Series: Baton Music vocal series
from the Opera Serse

Ombra mai fù is the opening aria from the 1738 opera Serse by Georg Friederich Handel. The opera itself was a commercial failure, lasting only five performances in London after its premiere. In the 19th century, however, the aria was rediscovered and became one of Handel's best-known pieces. Originally composed to be sung by a soprano castrato (and sung in modern performances of Serse by a countertenor, contralto or a mezzo-soprano), it has often been arranged for other voice types and instruments, including solo organ, solo piano, violin and piano, and string ensembles, often under the title Largo from Xerxes, although the original tempo was larghetto. Performances of this aria are included in several movies like Farinelli (1994) Dangerous Liaisons (1988), and Pride and Prejudice.