Serse tragedy and comedy or high and low class characters. The musicologist Charles Burney later took "Serse" to task for violating decorum in this way, writing: "I have not been able to discover the author of the words of this drama: but it is one of the worst Handel ever set to Music: for besides feeble writing, there is a mixture of tragic-comedy and buffoonery in it, which Apostolo Zeno and Metastasio had banished from serious opera." Another unusual aspect of "Serse" is the number of short, one-part arias, when a typical opera seria of Handel's time was almost wholly made
Royal Winter Music Shakespearean theme in three parts. Henze has stated that the work as whole is now complete. The second piece was premiered by Reinbert Evers in the Goethe-Institut, Brussels on 25 November 1980. Both works are dedicated by Julian Bream. Recordings Otto Tolonen: Royal Winter Music (Alba Records, 2015) Royal Winter Music Royal Winter Music is the name given to two solo works for classical guitar by the German composer Hans Werner Henze. Both works are inspired by characters from Shakespeare. The first work (described as a sonata) was completed in 1976, and is in six movements. The first part, "Richard