Who sings Händel's “Lascia ch'io pianga (Lascia la spina)' best?

Which performance of Händel's "Lascia ch'io pianga (Lascia la spina)" do you prefer?

0:00 Lea Desandre
8:07 Yoshikazu Mera
11:53 Julia Lezhneva
18:35 Karina Gauvin
24:00 Cecilia Bartoli
28:51 Philippe Jaroussky

[a.mie.]

Desandre lässt mit ihrer mühelosen Anmut und Perfektion alle anderen hinter sich ... auch Gauvin ist schlicht, klar und großartig!

[ronseymour]

Julia Lezhneva's of course! She is the finest exponent of Handel's works that I have ever had the pleasure to have listened to.

[PannenbergMusic]

I liked Mera the most, he also is said to be a Mezzo Counter-Tenor quite naturally... And I liked his interpretation the most especially the clarity of it!

[MichikoP]

米良さん、💓すてき。Nice, Mera!
(Actually, of course, every singer!)

[ohmy]

Loved very much Karina Gauvin's version, less spectacularly ornate, elaborate & breathtaking than Lezhneva's. Bartoli very nice too in its beauty... Surprising to me Jaroussky's, after "all" I heard before I didn't think I could fall for anything else but I did. Mera remains very touching to me.

[hanneshofer]

Lezhneva - pure perfection and closest to what a baroque voice should be, low vibrato and affection

[albertjanhoeve]

Jarousky as countertenor is the best for me

[Jazmag]

Que hermosa es la opera, no hay fronteras, soprano, mezzo,contra alto, contratenor, maravilloso amemos las voces diferentes, todas nos transportan

[oliviatree]

Bartoli and I appreciate Gauvin's rendition too. I expect a certain agility, power, and deep embrace in mezzo sopranos as a distinction from sopranos, altos and countertenors. Both of Bartoli and Gauvin deliver, but Bartoli has such wonderfully flexible intonations and throated consonants that she is almost always my favorite. Always complex and original.

[Tigergrrll]

To my ears Yoshikazu Mera is just beyond perfection.

[bovnycccoperalover]

Thank you for the gorgeous "Ombra mai fu"! At this level, they are all marvelous and it becomes a matter of preference.

[jeanhines]

Once discussing Baroque composers and others, my son finally said well of course Bach is greatest. But he of course is from another planet. It is the same with Bartoli. She sings the part to her audience and they love her and she loves them. She is simply blessed with a unique voice and a depth of feelings that no one else even comes close to. Viva Vivaldi and all the rest of them. Bartoli. She lights a flame in my heart every time and a tear in my eye.

[isaiasriverajimenez]

Todos son perfectos, pero la voz de Philippe es grandiosa, y más siendo la voz de un hombre y tener esa tonalidad, soy fan de Cecilia Bartoli, pero está voz también me cautivo, saludos

[pascalouine]

Léa Desandre, la pureté de sa voix, son intensité et sensibilité, sa technique qui se fait complètement oubliée, il y a une puissance émotionnelle naturelle ( et en symbiose avec les magnifiques musiciens qui l' accompagnent )

[rickymastantuono]

Cecilia Bartoli unica e struggente, senza troppi gorgheggi ( di cui è capacissima quando serve) ma con una dinamica ed espressività eccellenti.

[racheld]

I've always LOVED Magdalena Kozena's interpretation. But of those you included here, Bartoli and Mera; different, but both superb. Mera is an astonishing singer. Thank you for introducing me to Lezhneva here. I hadn't heard her before. Lovely!

[maryyufit]

Julia Lezhneva of course. So much volume and sensibility.

[kg]

Yes, I liked Lezhneva also but Jaroussky has such a clear voice and sings so colorfully.

[joypaulson]

When I think of operatic genius, I think of Maria Callas, who was indisputably the most renown opera singer of the past 100 years.. And when I listen to Maria, it seems to me that Cecilia Bartoli is the best of all the 6 singers listed, as Cecilia most closely matches the sublime richness and depth of Maria's vocal range. Cecilia's version also sounds slower, yet demonstrates more passion, articulation and vocal clarity than any of the other 5 singers.

[marksands]

Philippe Jaroussky. His voice is simply angelical. All interpretations are beautiful as well.