Soprano Julia Lezhneva is exceptional in this recording of early Handel arias

By Lloyd Schwartz

Published October 20, 2025 at 12:43 PM EDT

Critic Lloyd Schwartz tells a story about Lezhneva, a Russian singer he "discovered" a few months ago — without realizing he already owned a 2015 recording of her rendition of Handel's early oratorio.

Lloyd Schwartz

Lloyd Schwartz is the classical music critic for NPR's Fresh Air with Terry Gross.

See stories by Lloyd Schwartz

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