I understand you're looking for . This famous aria from Handel’s opera Serse (Xerxes) is originally written for soprano castrato, but it is frequently transposed for baritone and bass voices due to its low tessitura and lyrical nature.
: While higher voices provide a "celestial" purity, a baritone’s "velvety" or "heroic" tones bring out the underlying melancholy and nobility of the melody. Musical & Historical Context The "Largo" Misnomer : Although widely known as "Handel's Largo," the score is actually marked (a bit faster than Largo). The Lyrics : The title translates to "Never was a shade," ombra mai fu baritone pdf
(only 52 bars) preceded by a short 9-bar recitative, "Frondi tenere e belle". Lyrics & Translation Italian Original English Translation Frondi tenere e belle Tender and beautiful fronds del mio platano amato, of my beloved plane tree, per voi risplenda il fato. let Fate smile upon you. Tuoni, lampi, e procelle May thunder, lightning, and storms non v'oltraggino mai la cara pace, never disturb your dear peace, né giunga a profanarvi austro rapace. nor may you by blowing winds be profaned. Ombra mai fu Never was a shade di vegetabile, of any plant, cara ed amabile, dearer and more lovely, soave più. or more sweet. Source: Wikipedia performance recording of a particular baritone to reference? I understand you're looking for
and the text praises the tree's branches for being "dearer and more lovely" than any other plant. : The piece is a brief Musical & Historical Context The "Largo" Misnomer :