"LARGO" from an aria performed in Handel's Xerxes (pronounced Serse)

Music by George Frederic Handel (1685-1759)
Arranged by Geoff Phillips
Transcribed by Geoff Phillips - lphillips@dmv.com - April 2002

Gtr I (D A D G B E) - 'Guitar (Nylon or Steel)'

This is a short, beautiful arrangement based on an aria from Handel's opera
Xerxes that I have been playing on the keyboard for some time. You might have
heard it in church or synagogue, and the melody is quite frankly ingenious.
In fact, I thought that it was so great that it should be transcribed for all
instruments, including the bagpipes (just kidding)! I have tried my best to
preserve the correct voice leading so that it sounds pleasant and have scored
it in drop D tuning for the reason just mentioned.  Follow the dynamics
indicated by > and 
        |-3-|
  Q  Q  E E E   Q  E E Q    Q  Q  Q    Q  E E Q    E E Q  E E   Q  Q  Q
|-------------|-----------|-0--0--2--|-3---------|------------|------------|
|-------------|-----------|-------3--|-3----3-3--|---5-1------|------------|
|-------0-2-4-|-2----0-2--|-2--2--2--|-0--0---0--|-0---0----4-|-0--0--0----|
|-2--4--------|-4--4-2-4--|-4--4-----|-----------|-2---2--4---|-0--0--0----|
|-3--3--2-----|-5--5---5--|-3--3--3--|-2--2---2--|-3---0--5---|-2--2--2----|
|-5--4--5-----|-0------0--|----------|-----------|--------0---|------------|
                                       H

                                                  <
  Q   Q  E. S   Q  Q  Q    Q  Q  Q    Q  E E Q    Q  Q  Q    Q  E S S Q
|-------------|----------|----------|-----------|-2--2-----|------0--------|
|-------------|----------|-1--1-----|-----------|-------5--|-4------4-5----|
|-0-----------|----------|-0--2--4--|-2----0-0--|-5--5--4--|-2--2-----0----|
|-----4--2--0-|-0--0--0--|-2--0--0--|-2--0---0--|-4--4--2--|-1--1-----2----|
|-3---3--3----|-2--2--2--|----------|-3--3---2--|-0--0-----|----2-----3----|
|-5---4--2----|-5--5--5--|-2--4--5--|-----------|-------5--|-4-------------|
  Q.

 3/4
  E E Q  E E   Q  Q  Q    Q  E E Q    E. S Q  Q    +Q   Q  E. S
|------------|----------|-----------|---------0--|-(0)----------|
|------------|----1-----|-1---------|------------|------3--1--0-|
|-5-2--------|----2--0--|----4-2-4--|-2--0-2--2--|-(2)--0--2----|
|-2---4--1-2-|-2--2--2--|-4--0---0--|-4--2-4--4--|-(4)--0--4----|
|-0---7--2---|-2--0--0--|----5---5--|-5----5--3--|-(3)--2-------|
|-----4--4---|-2--------|-0--5---5--|-0----------|---------0----|

                                                              H.=H
 3/4
  <                                               <
  Q  Q  Q    Q  Q  Q    Q  E. S Q    E E Q  E E   Q  E E Q    E E Q  E  E
|----------|-3--3--2--|------------|------------|-----------|-----------2-|
|-------3--|-3--3--3--|-7--5--3-3--|-3-2-2----2-|-3----5-3--|-1-0-------3-|
|-4--0-----|-0--0--0--|-5--5-------|-----0--0---|--------0--|-0---2-----2-|
|----0--4--|-0--0--0--|-5--5----4--|-5---2--2---|-4--4------|-2---0--4----|
|-5-----0--|-2--2--2--|-3--3----0--|-0---0--0---|-0--3---2--|--------5----|
|-5-----0--|----------|---------0--|------------|-0---------|-2---4--0----|

                                   Q=64
                                   |-3-|
  Q   E   E   Q     +H.        E E E Q  E. S   H.        +H     Q
|-3--(3)-(3)-(3)--|-(3)------|---------------|---------|-------------||
|-3---1---0---1---|-(1)------|---------------|---------|-------------||
|-0--(0)-(0)-(0)--|-(0)------|-2-4-5-4--2--0-|-0-------|-(0)---------||
|-2--(2)-(2)-(2)--|-(2)------|-2-----4--4----|---------|-------------||
|-----------------|----------|-3-----5--0----|-2-------|-(2)---------||
|-2--(2)-(2)-(2)--|-(2)------|-------0--0----|-5-------|-(5)---------||


******************************************************************************

Duration Legend
---------------

H - half    Q - quarter    E - 8th    S - 16th

+ - note tied to previous    . - note dotted

Irregular groupings are notated above the duration line.
Duration letters will always appear directly above the note/fret numbers
they represents the duration for.
Low melody durations appear below the staff.

 <  - louder
 >  - softer
 |  - bar
||  - double bar
()  - tied note (previous note held, not replayed)