An aria (Italian for air; plural: arie or arias in common usage) in music was originally any expressive melody, usually, but not always, performed by a singer. The term is now used almost exclusively to describe a self-contained piece for one voice usually with orchestral accompaniment. Perhaps the most common context for arias is opera, although there are many arias that form movements of oratorios and cantatas. Composers also wrote concert arias, which are not part of any larger work, such as "Ah perfido" by Beethoven, and a number of concert arias by Mozart, such as "Conservati fedele".
The aria first appeared in the 14th century when it signified a manner or style of singing or playing. Aria could also mean a melodic scheme (motif) or pattern for singing a poetic pattern, such as a sonnet. It was also attached to instrumental music, though this is no longer the case. Over time, arias evolved from simple melodies into a structured form. In the 17th century, the aria was written in ternary form (ABA); these arias were known as da capo arias. The aria later "invaded" the opera repertoire with its many sub-species (Aria cantabile, Aria agitata, Aria di bravura, and so on). By the mid-19th century, many operas became a sequence of arias, reducing the space left for recitative, while other operas (for instance those by Wagner) were entirely through-composed, with no section being readily identifiable as a self-contained aria.
An arietta is a short aria.
| Voice type | Aria | Opera | Composer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| soprano | O mio babbino caro | Gianni Schicchi | Giacomo Puccini | |
| Sì, mi chiamano Mimì | La bohème | Giacomo Puccini | ||
| Vissi d'arte | Tosca | Giacomo Puccini | ||
| Der Hölle Rache | The Magic Flute | Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | ||
| Summertime | Porgy and Bess | George Gershwin | ||
| Glitter and Be Gay | Candide | Leonard Bernstein | ||
| Sempre libera | La traviata | Giuseppe Verdi | ||
| When I am laid in Earth | Dido and Aeneas | Henry Purcell | ||
| mezzo-soprano | Habanera | Carmen | Georges Bizet | |
| Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix | Samson and Delilah | Camille Saint-Saëns | ||
| Voi, che sapete | The Marriage of Figaro | Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | ||
| Ombra mai fù | Serse | George Frideric Handel | ||
| contralto | Ah, Tanya, Tanya | Eugene Onegin | Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky | |
| Weiche, Wotan, weiche | Das Rheingold | Richard Wagner | ||
| Lullaby | The Consul | Gian Carlo Menotti | ||
| tenor | La donna è mobile | Rigoletto | Giuseppe Verdi | |
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| Celeste Aida | Aida | Giuseppe Verdi | |
| Vesti la giubba | Pagliacci | Ruggero Leoncavallo | |
| Nessun dorma | Turandot | Giacomo Puccini | |
| E lucevan le stelle | Tosca | Giacomo Puccini | |
| baritone | Largo al factotum | The Barber of Seville | Gioachino Rossini |
| Votre toast (Toreador song) | Carmen | Georges Bizet | |
| Der Vogelfänger bin ich ja | The Magic Flute | Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | |
| Die Frist ist um | The Flying Dutchman | Richard Wagner | |
| Tutto e deserto... Il balen del suo sorriso | Il trovatore | Giuseppe Verdi | |
| bass | Non più andrai | The Marriage of Figaro | Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart |
| O Isis und Osiris | The Magic Flute | Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | |
| Madamina, il catalogo è questo | Don Giovanni | Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | |
| Hier sitz ich zur Wacht | Götterdämmerung | Richard Wagner |
| Voice ranges | Aria | Opera | Composer |
|---|---|---|---|
| tenor and soprano | Libiamo ne' lieti calici | La traviata | Giuseppe Verdi |
| O soave fanciulla | La bohème | Giacomo Puccini | |
| Parle-moi de ma mère | Carmen | Georges Bizet | |
| tenor and mezzo-soprano | Già i sacerdoti adunansi | Aida | Giuseppe Verdi |
| tenor and baritone | Au fond du temple saint (In The Depths Of The Temple) | The Pearl Fishers | Georges Bizet |
| O Mimì, tu più non torni | La bohème | Giacomo Puccini | |
| soprano and soprano | Che soave Zeffiretto | The Marriage of Figaro | Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart |
| soprano and mezzo-soprano | Scuoti quella fronda di ciliegio | Madama Butterfly | Giacomo Puccini |
| soprano and mezzo-soprano | The Flower Duet | Lakmé | Léo Delibes |
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From Italian aria, metathesis from Latin aera, accusative of āēr < Ancient Greek ἀήρ (aēr), “‘air’”).
Cognate to air.
Wikipedia it
Metathesis from Latin aera, accusative of āēr < Ancient Greek ἀήρ (aēr), “‘air’”).
ària, /ˈarja/, /"arja/
aria f. (plural arie)
Wikipedia pl
aria f.
| Singular | Plural | |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | aria | arie |
| Genitive | arii | arii |
| Dative | arii | ariom |
| Accusative | arię | arie |
| Instrumental | arią | ariami |
| Locative | arii | ariach |
| Vocative | ario | arie |
An Aria is a long song accompanying a solo voice. An aria is usually in an opera. It is an Italian word of the 18th century meaning “air” (i.e. a tune).
In operas of the Baroque period most of the music was either “recitative” or “aria”. Recitative (from a word meaning: “to recite” i.e. “to tell”) was sung quickly, almost as if it were being spoken. The singer was accompanied just by a few supporting chords, usually on a harpsichord. The story was being told in the recitative. Once the situation in the story had changed there would be an aria. The singer would sing a song which expressed his or her feelings. The aria had more musical interest than the recitative. Arias were usually in what we call “ABA” form or “Da Capo” form. There was a main section, then a middle part, then the main section was repeated (“Da Capo” means: “back to the beginning”). In the Da Capo section the singer usually improvised, adding many embellishments and ornaments. The aria gave performers the opportunity to show off their virtuosity.
The word “aria” is not just used in opera. Arias can be found in cantatas or just by themselves. Sometimes pieces for instruments are called “aria”. These are often a tune with variations, such as Handel's famous "Air with Variations" for harpsichord, also known as the Harmonious Blacksmith.
In the 19th century the difference between recitative and aria in opera started to fade. Composers like Richard Wagner made the music much more continuous. He did not want audiences clapping in the middle of his operas. He wanted the music to develop dramatically and continuously.
   | The Aria Database - The Aria Database - Information, translations, and MIDIs of famous opera arias for singers and music lovers |
| | Guest soloist Clare Bradshaw - YouTube - Two Famous Mozart Arias |
| | Aria Guitars - The Aria USA Official Website! |
| | Fan site - ~ ARIA Company ~ Ver.4.5 |
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