George Frideric Handel composed Serse to revolutionize opera so that it would speak to the audiences of his time. In the same way, In Series takes this most vibrant of Handel’s works – complete with its famous “largo” Ombra Mai Fu – and transforms it to captivate our own contemporary audience. From the legends of ancient Persia and steeped in Sufi culture, the pains and pleasures of learning to love are experienced through the magic of this music and a new narration crafted from the poetry of Rumi, one of the most popular poets of all time. With The Tale of Serse, In Series announces the premiere of its own orchestra Innovātiō, to perform this magnetic and visionary score on period instruments under the direction of conductor and adapter Timothy Nelson.