Product Description
This piece is probably Handels best-known melody, although
it began life as an operatic aria. The opera was called Xerxes,
sometimes written Serses and pronounced something like ZERT-sees.
It was commissioned by The Kings Theater in London and composed by Handel (who
had become naturalized British and lived in London at the time) around 1737 and
1738. The opera is loosely based on the historical figure King Xerxes, who ruled
from around 522-486 BC and was the fourth king of the Achaemenid Empire, a vast
region that covered most of the present-day Middle East.
The melody is often known simply as Handels Largo (despite
being marked Larghetto in the musical score) and is the opening aria in the
opera. The aria, known by its opening line Ombra mai fu is sung by
Xerxes to a plane tree: Tender and beautiful fronds of my beloved plane tree, let
fate smile upon you...
Although this lovely melody has survived over the years, the
opera itself was a complete failure when it was first performed in London in 1738.
This arrangement is in G major and the top note is the G above the alto clef (G5) and the piece generally requires the use of long and
sustained bowing (indicted in the score), though the viola fingering has been
omitted. The
piano part has been kept as simple as possible. Being so well-known, this piece would make a popular encore number for
a viola recital.
This product was created by a member of ArrangeMe, Hal Leonard's global self-publishing community of independent composers, arrangers, and songwriters. ArrangeMe allows for the publication of unique arrangements of both popular titles and original compositions from a wide variety of voices and backgrounds.