Countertenor Christopher Lowrey sings the aria Ombra mai fù, from Handel's opera Serse. 4K, Ultra HD video from the Voices of Music "Art of the Countertenor" concert, March, 2016.

Handel’s arias form one of the core repertories for singers of 18th-century music, owing not only to the quality of the compositions but also to the variety of affects and styles present in his operas, oratorios and sacred music. The aria “Ombra mai fù,” known also as “Handel’s Largo,” is one of his best-known works; somewhat surprisingly, it comes down to us through a circuitous path. The original version was composed by Cavalli in the mid-17th century, then “borrowed” by Bononcini for his 1694 production of the opera Serse, then substantially revised by Handel for his own version of Serse which premiered in London in April of 1738. Handel's version retains the overall texture, scoring and melodic shapes of the original, but Handel reworks the vocal line and creates more interplay between the singer and the violins.

Ombra mai fù di vegetabile, cara ed amabile, soave più. —Nicolò Minato Never was the shade from any plant more dear, more lovely, or so sweet.

The Musicians and their Instruments Voices of Music performs on original instruments: hear the music played on instruments from the time of the composer. Lisa Grodin, baroque viola by Mathias Eberl, Salzburg, Austria, 1680 Kati Kyme, baroque violin by Johann Gottlob Pfretzschner, Mittenwald, 1791 Carla Moore, baroque violin by Johann Georg Thir, Vienna, Austria, 1754 Maxine Nemerovski, baroque violin by Joseph Gaffino, Paris, 1769 Elisabeth Reed, baroque cello, anonymous, 1673 Farley Pearce, violone by George Stoppani, Manchester, 1985, after Amati, 1560 David Tayler, archlute by Andreas von Holst, Munich, 2012, after Tieffenbrucker, c1610 Hanneke van Proosdij, baroque organ by Winold van der Putten, Finsterwolde, Netherlands, 2004, after early 18th-century northern German instruments Gabrielle Wunsch, baroque violin by Lorenzo Carcassi, Florence, Italy, 1765

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