Händel: Serse

Händel- Serse, performed by the Dresden Opera ★★
Reviewers on Amazon.com gave the opera performance 4-1/2 stars, with the lowest rating a 3-star. Much was commented on the brilliant performance and sumptuous arias.  I found none of this to be true. First, Händel is a very monotonous composer, and there is minimal brilliance in his operatic style. Why the English loved Händel eludes me, save that their taste in food is equally dismal. Secondly, I am continually annoyed by his staging of males with females, but to stage Serse as a female with a soprano role really seemed to go a bit too far. In fact, there were only two male roles in the entire opera. I agree that the performance itself was rather faultless, and soloists quite talented, but even their skills could not make up for an otherwise dreadful opera.