The English Concert: Handel’s SerseKonzertante Aufführung

Hear why Handel was one of the most acclaimed opera composers of the Baroque. His rarely heard Serse opens with his most famous aria—“Ombra mai fu,” a fervent song of thanks to a shade-giving tree—and takes listeners on a vocal rollercoaster ride where comedy and tragedy intersect, and the music is always glorious. Harry Bicket and The English Concert’s performances of Handel’s operas and oratorios are tremendously popular Carnegie Hall events and have been called a “beloved ritual for many” (The New York Times).