Xerse (Xerxes) is an opera in three acts by Giovanni Bononcini. It was designated as a dramma per musica. The libretto was written by Silvio Stampiglia after that by Nicolò Minato which had been used for the 1654 opera of the same name by Francesco Cavalli. Stampiglia's version was in turn used as the basis for Handel's Serse.

Stampiglia's version keeps to the story used by Minato but there are major differences in the way the work as a whole is structured.

Performance history

The opera was first performed in Rome at the Teatro di Tordinona on 25 January 1694.

Main roles

Role	Voice type	Premiere Cast, 25 January 1694 (Conductor: )
Xerse	soprano
Romilda	soprano
Adelanta	soprano
Arsamene	contralto
Amastre	contralto

References

• Lindgren, Lowell (1992), 'Xerse (ii)' in The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, ed. Stanley Sadie (London) ISBN 0-333-73432-7