# Who Sings The Best Ombra Mai Fu by Handel?



## ArtMusic (Jan 5, 2013)

Here are some outstanding singing. Which performance is your favorite from these or other performances. Please post a video. It's a great aria by one of the greatest composers who ever lived.

Every single one of these performances are wonderful in their own ways. Due to maximum of 5 allowed, please also consider the next post for extras.

*Franco Fagioli*





*Renée Fleming *





*Philippe Jaroussky*





*Andreas Scholl*





*Cécilia Bartoli*


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## ArtMusic (Jan 5, 2013)

Continued here with three more.

*Iestyn Davies*





*Patricia Janečková*





*Christopher Lowrey*


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## Dorsetmike (Sep 26, 2018)

You missed this one


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Dame Janet Baker






David Daniels






And then there's always this.


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## silentio (Nov 10, 2014)

Here are my favorite:


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Oh boy! What a gift.

These were all so lovely but now comes my prejudice against counter-tenors. Some were total stunning but I do require a trill and men find it difficult with their instrument to do that.
So I am only rating the women, and I brought it down to 3 and listened 3 times before I finally pronounced the winner (who, actually, I felt immediately from the very beginning.)
The 3 were: Fleming/Bartoli and Baker. 
All were sumptuous but Bartoli with her exquisite chest tones had a poignant delivery that was ethereal and easily gets the bouquet of roses from me.

Now what happened to Callas/Sutherland and Sills?


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

I favor counter-tenors for this lovely aria (one of Handel's best), and I picked Jaroussky and Scholl. The performances I don't care for much are those that employ a "big voice" that does not integrate itself with the instrumental support; performers in this mold are usually sopranos and tenors much better suited for romantic-era opera. However, I found Bartoli just about perfect and picked her as well.

As an aside, I strongly recommend an Hyperion disc of Handel heroic arias performed by James Bowman and conducted by Robert King (yes, the ex-con).


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

I love Wunderlich's singing, but he pronounces _cara_ as _carrra _ and I dislike that. I don't mind countertenors when they are David Daniels, whose version is close to the top, despite is triple "rrrs" when they're not warranted by the spelling of the word. And he *does* trill (so does Yoshikazu Mera, but not as often). Fleming is out for vapidity, despite her trills.

I usually abhor Cecilia Bartoli, but she's very good indeed in slow music and here very moving. But what's with _ombrrra_? Additionally, she's appropriately dressed (great costume!) and has the Roman nose.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

MAS said:


> I love Wunderlich's singing, but he pronounces _cara_ as _carrra _ and I dislike that. I don't mind countertenors when they are David Daniels, whose version is close to the top, despite is triple "rrrs" when they're not warranted by the spelling of the word. And he *does* trill (so does Yoshikazu Mera, but not as often). Fleming is out for vapidity, despite her trills.
> 
> I usually abhor Cecilia Bartoli, but she's very good indeed in slow music and here very moving. But what's with _ombrrra_? Additionally, she's appropriately dressed (great costume!) and has the Roman nose.


Strange that I too picked Bartoli when I shy away from anything she does with her aspirating sound. But this was exactly the way I believe this aria should be done and she crossed every "t" and dotted every "i".


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

nina foresti said:


> Strange that I too picked Bartoli when I shy away from anything she does with her aspirating sound. But this was exactly the way I believe this aria should be done and she crossed every "t" and dotted every "i".


The *one* other thing of hers that I like is _"sposa son disprezzata_ on a recital CD (_Se tu m'ami)_.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

MAS said:


> I love Wunderlich's singing, but he pronounces _cara_ as _carrra _ and I dislike that.


I can forgive Wunderlich just about anything. It's one of those voices that just slays me, whatever he is singing.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

silentio said:


> Here are my favorite:


None of these would take any prizes for authenticity, but oh, what voices! The Caruso is both terrible and wonderful. Terrible because it's hardly recognisable as Handel, but wonderful for the voice itself and the things he can do with it.

Nice to be reminded of how glorious Carreras's voice was in his youth. Such a beautiful, lyric tenor.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

I love Flagstad and Kathleen Ferrier doing it. I also strangely love Franco Corelli doing it, though his style is completely wrong LOL


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Seattleoperafan said:


> I also strangely love Franco Corelli doing it, though his style is completely wrong LOL


That's a step too far for me. The orchestral arrangement of the one I know is vulgar in the extreme and Corelli sounds as if he's singing about the pain of unrequited love rather than the sweet, refreshing cool of the shade . :devil:


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Tsaraslondon said:


> That's a step too far for me. The orchestral arrangement of the one I know is vulgar in the extreme and Corelli sounds as if he's singing about the pain of unrequited love rather than the sweet, refreshing cool of the shade . :devil:


LOL. It is a guilty pleasure for sure!!!!!!! It is sort of like hearing Ethel Merman sing disco. It amuses me, but I think of him in a short toga.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Seattleoperafan said:


> LOL. It is a guilty pleasure for sure!!!!!!! It is sort of like hearing Ethel Merman sing disco. It amuses me, but I think of him in a short toga.


:lol::lol::lol:


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## perempe (Feb 27, 2014)

I hope Ms. Bartoli wasn't bitten by a tick.


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

Tsaraslondon said:


> That's a step too far for me. The orchestral arrangement of the one I know is vulgar in the extreme and Corelli sounds as if he's singing about the pain of unrequited love rather than the sweet, refreshing cool of the shade . :devil:


I'm a big fan of Corelli's voice qua voice and like you with Wunderlich whom I also adore, I can forgive him his lapses.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

Caffarelli...........


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## ArtMusic (Jan 5, 2013)

Bulldog said:


> ...Robert King (yes, the ex-con).


For the record, Robert King is a registered sex offender, probably a pedophile. In 2007, King was convicted of fourteen charges of indecent assault for the sexual assault of five boys, three under the age of sixteen, between 1982 and 1995; he was acquitted on another charge.

The performance here is excellent:


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