HANDEL: Serse (Xerxes) (NTSC)
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This splendid performance from the Semperoper in Dresden dates from June 2000, and was directed by Michael Hampe. It's one of Haendel's greatest...
This splendid performance from the Semperoper in Dresden dates from June 2000, and was directed by Michael Hampe. It's one of Haendel's greatest masterpieces, and boasts a roster of five of Europe's best sopranos, all sailing with ease through the extreme demands Handel set for them. The title role of Serse is brilliantly borne by the diminutive Paula Rasmussen, who is "on" nearly nonstop throughout, yet shows no signs of flagging. Castrati were still in vogue in Handel's time, which might explain the assigning of male roles to soprani; only two of the male roles are sung by men. Les Talens Lyriques is one of the top early music ensembles in Europe, and their performance under the direction of Christopher Rousset is exemplary. The only minor quibble I have is with the stage settings: this drama is set in Persian antiquity, during the invasion of Greece, so why are all the characters costumed like a bunch of Russian Czarist courtiers?
--Review by Giv Cornfield, October 2007