Operatic Arias
 

Please post videos of operatic arias and discuss them at liberty.

What is an operatic aria? Good question. An operatic aria is a self-contained piece for one (human) voice usually with orchestral accompaniment (Aria - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) sung in an operatic style.

An "operatic aria" can be a stand-alone song and not necessarily part of an opera, which is a musical creation that "incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance" (Wikipedia).

Because not ALL arias are part of operas, the categorization process for arias gets slightly complex:

The partial overlap between the topics of "operatic arias" and "opera" can be shown using the following complicated Venn diagram:

http://www.northland.cc.mn.us/owl/Wr...s/image002.jpg

;)

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Now, some examples!

An example of an operatic aria that is not opera:

Mozart - Aria for Soprano and Strings "Conservati fedele" in A KV 23 - Andante grazioso



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Some operatic arias are considered part of popular music, rather than classical music:

An example of an operatic aria that is popular music:

Second Aria from "Lilit" Pop Opera
It gets kind of funky, yet still is sung using an operatic voice.



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We can also hear operatic arias, such as an operatic "patter song" (Patter song - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia), in comic opera:

Gilbert and Sullivan - "I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General"
The Pirates of Penzance - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



Another patter song:

Gilbert and Sullivan - "Nightmare Song"
Stephen Quint performs a cute patter song from Gilbert and Sullivan's "Iolanthe"



Your turn. What are some of your favorite arias?

One of my favorite arias is Jacque Offenbach's "Barcarolle" from his opera, The Tales of Hoffman.

Interestingly, this piece resulted from posthumous teamwork. Offenbach wrote the aria as the "Elves' Song" for another opera, but after he died, a fellow composer Ernest Guiraud completed the score of the unfinished Tales of Hoffman and included an excerpt from Offenbach's earlier opera. That excerpt is what we now know as "Barcarolle." The Tales of Hoffmann - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I first heard an orchestral version of "Barcarolle" when I was 18 and had acquired or made a tape of classical music that I loved. I remember lying in bed one night listening to the tape over and over, especially enjoying this song, which I felt and still feel is hauntingly beautiful.

Only later (last year) did I realize the music arose from an opera and was intended to have singers.

I feel that the following performance, which I just heard for the first time, is especially nice because the singers' voices are so luscious and mesh beautifully. The song sounds like the taste of a delicious dessert...perhaps a cream puff, eclaire, baklava, or sweet, ripe, tangy mango. :)

"Barcarolle" -- from Jacque Offenbach's opera, The Tales of Hoffman
Anna Netrebko (soprano) and Elina Garanca (mezzo-soprano).



The opera as a whole is loosely about appreciating and keeping your creative spirit, your muse, alive. The "Barcarolle" is about an ephemeral night of passion:

Andrew Lloyd Webber - "Pie Jesu" from his Requiem Mass
Singer: Anna Netrebko

A beautiful piece sung beautifully by Anna Netrebko (who is also beautiful! ;)):


Anna Netrebko - "Pie Jesu" - YouTube

^ That's a whole lot of beauty right there! :)

Oh, I had no idea this thread existed. I'll have to come back to it!

If you can think of more arias to add to the thread, Burning Down, that would be great because I'm getting close to the end of the ones I know. :)

Below is my favorite operatic aria of all:

"Marietta's Lied" from the Opera "Die Tote Stadt" by Korngold
Kiri Te Kanawa - Soprano
Tender and beautiful with a lovely message of hope that I wish were true
(Lyrics translated from German into English: http://www.aria-database.com/transla...02_marlied.txt)


Marietta_s Lied ( Die tote Stadt ) - Kiri Te Kanawa - YouTube

Maybe I'm mistaking but I love the Aria of the Goldberg Variations - Bach.

Greetings From The Land of The Alamo
 

I'm new here.

Maria Callas (aka La Divina): O Mio Babbino Caro - Composer: Puccini - Opera: Gianni Schicchi

^ A nice and famous aria addition to the thread!

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Today while skimming through operatic arias online, I happened to listen to a beautiful opera singer named Maria Callas:

Maria Callas sings the aria "Ebben? Ne andrò lontana?" by Catalani
She has wonderful vocal range and control and a lovely tone as heard in this aria about loss. I read on Wikipedia that my appreciation of her voice is a common response, since she is one of most famous opera singers of the 1900s:



http://www.operasiempre.es/wp-content/220907MC_3.jpg

Thanks for the informative info! My roommate in college was an opera singer, and believe it or not, I am just now understanding what an aria is. :laughing: