[Op.123]

Hernandez doesn't sound at her best here, her legato isn't the best, her vibrato natural but too prominent for my taste and a lack of light and shade. I do like Hernandez though, although recently less and less as she sounds increasingly overspent, and I am grateful to hear a modern soprano with squillo and a chest voice that's well formed.

Gheorghiu is maybe more pleasant to listen to but she doesn't have the voice for this music and I found myself thinking Hernandez would be far more exciting to hear in theatre. Gheorghiu makes this music sound a little plasticky to me, whereas Hernandez open but unrefined sound is a little more to my liking. Neither are great favourites here.

 

[Op.123]

I actually agree with what you say about Gheorghiu in this aria, but she got my vote because I found her actual voice more listenable. I thought the sounds Hernandez was making quite ugly (and this from someone who is more tolerant than most of Callas's late career voice).

Hernandez has a good voice but she sounds like she needs to relax a little more when she sings. Her voice can make a beautiful sound on one note and then she can garble her way to the next one. It's also a voice that I'm sure would sound better but theatre and this is not her best. I find her much more effective here, except from at the high 'piano' A and the following turn.

 

[Op.123]

This is difficult to judge independently, because I know that super critical @Op.123 considers Saioa Hernandez the lesser evil among contemporary singers. So I naturally think of why she might be better. The beginning of the aria and the chest voice shows a real great contrast, which I would have noticed also without this bias. In those dark parts of the aria, Hernandez is really impressive, maybe captivated me even more than the singers of good ole times. However, as the aria progresses, I notice something unpleasant in the higher notes, which I do not have the name for. There I prefer Gheorghiu, the voice is thinner but does not do that thing. Was Hernandez in her prime here ? I will vote for her due to that spectacular beginning.

I would say this video represents her at her best and in her prime. The voice is strong and firm, the vibrato more controlled, and the turn more freely executed at 'volavan l'ore' than in the video I posted above. Unfortunately since then the voice has declined, become less easy and consequently less expressive. Here I think she is a very fine spinto in comparison to the rest of those singing this rep nowadays.