In case anyone isn't aware of this, I thought it would be worthwhile to mention the original context of the aria "Lascia ch'io pianga," which Chloe sings so movingly on her first solo CD.

The area comes from a Handel opera called Rinaldo, which is set in the Middle Ages. In this opera, the title character, Rinaldo, a crusading knight, is in love with a young lady named Almirena.

However, Almirena is abducted by Armida, a powerful sorceress. While Rinaldo is attempting to rescue her, Almirena is held captive, and what's worse, a male villain who is in league with the sorceress (Argante, a Saracen king) makes advances to Almirena, who struggles to resist him.

So there she is -- trapped, parted from her love, and threatened with violation.

It is as Almirena is in this dire predicament that she sings the aria "Lascia ch'io pianga," the lyrics of which are as follows:


I think it adds something to one's appreciation of the song to know this background. Almirena is heartbroken at being parted from her beloved, and in extreme peril. It is a song of sadness and fear. Chloe infuses these lyrics with a plaintive quality as she sings them, yet she captures their exquisite beauty too. It's just another example of the sweet melancholy that characterizes so much of her best work.

Oh, and as for the opera, eventually good triumphs over evil, and Rinaldo and his beloved Almirena are reunited.

After all, it's a work of the Baroque, and the tragic endings that distinguish Verdi and Puccini were still over a century away.

Again another marvelous analysis Celeste, I'm learning much from you!