“Verdi prati, selve amene” is a famous, melancholic aria for the character Ruggiero from Act 2 of George Frideric Handel’s 1735 Baroque opera Alcina.
In this aria, Ruggiero sings of the fleeting beauty of the sorceress Alcina’s enchanted island, recognizing that its magical, lush landscape will soon turn into a desert once her power is broken.
The Listening Project Blog 