The famous 'Lascia ch'io pianga' is taken from 'Rinaldo', the first of the many Italian operas by Georg Friedrich Haendel (1685-1759). It was composed in 1711, on a libretto by Aaron Hill and Giacomo Rossi, inspired by Torquato Tasso's 'La Gerusalemme liberata'. Prisoner of the magician Armida, Almirena, Rinaldo's lover, mourns her despair in this sublime, noble and pure aria, taken from earlier compositions by the English master, who undoubtedly reached perfection.

Rinaldo, HWV 7 - Act II, Scene 4: Lascia ch'io pianga

George Frideric Handel

Rinaldo, HWV 7 - Act II, Scene 4: Lascia ch'io pianga

George Frideric Handel

Available movements