Xerse, written in 1654, was Cavalli’s twenty-first opera. Originally written in a prologue and three acts, it was first performed at the Teatro SS. Giovanni e Paolo on January 12, 1655. Its originality came from the fact that it followed the new trend and brought historical characters from the exotic Middle East to the stage.

Xerse contributed to Cavalli’s growing fame as an opera composer, and his reputation was spread across Italy and into Europe by travelling opera companies touring his work. By the 1660s his standing was so impressive that he was summoned to Paris by the Italian-born Cardinal Mazarin, France’s Chief Minister. Here, at great expense, Mazarin commissioned him to write an opera for the wedding of Louis XIV to the Spanish princess Maria-Theresa, and even ordered the building of an elaborate new theatre for its performance. Whilst Cavalli was in Paris waiting for the delayed completion of this theatre, Xerse was performed four times as a stop gap.

It is likely that Cavalli was involved in the final adaptation of Xerse for Paris, and that he directed the performances from the harpsichord (as he was used to doing in Venice). This 2021 production uses the Paris score as its base.

Although the Venetian version of Xerse had been written for the public theatre in Italy it was not too difficult to mould it to fit a French courtly audience. The plot essentially portrays a triumphant king who accumulates military victories, and yet obstinately and inappropriately pursues the wrong woman (Romilda) instead of recognising his legitimate fiancée, Amastre. Cavalli found that the opera could easily be ‘transformed’ into a political allegory since, in the end, Xerse recognises his mistake and marries Amastre.

For the benefit of the Parisian audience Cavalli also undertook various musical revisions – most specifically a rhythmical adaptation of the recitative, possibly in order to enable a non-Italian audience to follow the speed of dialogue more easily - and some modifications in characterisation in order to better match the courtly context.