George Frideric Handel - SERSE

This production comes from the Dresden Music Festival of 2000. The stage director is Michael Hampe, who was behind the similarly excellent Schwetzingen Agrippina from 1985, also released on a EuroArts DVD (2054538). Hampe makes no attempt to put a miniature Persia on the stage of Dresden's Semperoper, nor does he imitate what Serse might have looked like in 1738. Instead, this is a fantasy Persia as it might have been imagined by 18th-century Europeans, but as it could have been realized only through modern stagecraft. The costuming is handsome, and the splendid sets are fluid and adaptable. As in his Agrippina, Hampe doesn't shortchange the opera's potential for comedy, but he shows restraint and resists the temptation to yuck it up or make it silly. It's really the best of both worlds.

Directed by Michael Hampe, George Frideric Handel - SERSE leans on a strong ensemble — Christophe Rousset — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about music titles of 2000.