Serse Serse Serse (; English title: "Xerxes"; HWV 40) is an opera seria in three acts by George Frideric Handel. It was first performed in London on 15 April 1738. The Italian libretto was adapted by an unknown hand from that by Silvio Stampiglia for an earlier opera of the same name by Giovanni Bononcini in 1694. Stampiglia's libretto was itself based on one by Nicolò Minato that was set by Francesco Cavalli in 1654. The opera is set in Persia (modern-day Iran) about 470 BC and is very loosely based upon Xerxes I of Persia. Serse, originally sung by a
2003 in British music 2003 in British music This is a summary of 2003 in music in the United Kingdom. Both Andrew Glover and Peter Maxwell Davies produced several new orchestral/instrumental works. British film score composer Rachel Portman produced an opera, "The Little Prince", commissioned by the Houston Opera and premièred in the USA. Michael Nyman, during his period as Composer-in-Residence at Badisches Staatstheater in Karlsruhe, Germany, produced his "Violin Concerto" and an opera "", with libretto by Michael Hastings. It was premièred at the Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe in the following year. The 2003 BRIT Awards winners were: The winners of the Ivor Novello