Handel's Largo facts for kids

Handel's Largo is the popular name for a famous song, called an aria, written by George Frideric Handel. He composed it in 1738 for his opera Serse, which is also known as Xerxes. Even though the opera itself was not very successful at first, this particular song became incredibly popular much later.

What is Handel's Largo?

This famous song is officially called "Ombra mai fu". These are the first words of the song, and they are in Italian. "Ombra mai fu" means "Never was a shade". In the opera, the main character, King Xerxes I of Persia, sings this song. He is admiring the lovely shade provided by a tree.

The Story Behind the Song

When Handel's opera Serse first came out, it wasn't a big hit. It only played five times before it closed. But about a hundred years later, "Ombra mai fu" became very popular on its own! People started playing it at important events like weddings and funerals. It was also changed and arranged for many different instruments and voices, making it known to many more people.

How the Music Sounds

The original speed, or tempo, of "Handel's Largo" is called larghetto. This means it's played a little slowly and in a serious way. The song is quite short, lasting about four minutes. It has 52 musical bars. In the opera, a group of string instruments plays along with the singer. These instruments include violins, violas, and basses. The song is written in the F major key signature and has a time signature of 3/4 time.

Images for kids

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  Plane tree (planted in 1680)

See also

In Spanish: Ombra mai fu para niños