From Parisotti's book of antique arias.
antique arias
Aria Language: Italian
Voice: Soprano
Opera:
Lascia ch'io pianga is a famous aria by George Frideric Handel included in the opera "Rinaldo".
The melody wasn't originally written for this opera though: Handel used it first as an instrumental piece in 1705 for the opera Almira, and later re-used it for an oratorio aria, "Il trionfo del tempo e del disinganno", 2 years later ("Lascia la spina, cogli la rosa" was the first verse).
After 4 years, in 1711, Handel changed the lyrics and recycled this theme once again for the "Rinaldo": this opera was a major success in Handel's career, and therefore we are used t... » ... sing it!
Aria Language: Italian
Opera:
Caro mio ben by Tommaso Giordani (sometimes attributed to Tommaso's brother, Giuseppe) is one of the most beloved voice pieces from the classical repertoire.
It was also included by Alessandro Parisotti in his best-selling XIX century book "Antique arias", still used nowadays by most classical singing students and teachers.
The inner beauty and simplicity of this melody make it a great song for beginners, but also a tough challenge for the most experienced singers to show their musicality... just have a look at Cecila Bartoli's version of "Caro mio ben... » ... sing it!