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Old 08-20-2011, 10:56 AM   #1 (permalink)
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Default 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:

Quote:
About Arias
( Aria - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

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





*****

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:

Quote:
Operatic pop - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Operatic pop, or pop opera, is a subgenre of pop music that is performed in an operatic style, or a song, theme or motif from classical music stylized as pop.
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?
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Originally Posted by Neapolitan:
If a chicken was smart enough to be able to speak English and run in a geometric pattern, then I think it should be smart enough to dial 911 (999) before getting the axe, and scream to the operator, "Something must be done! Something must be done!"
Last edited by VEGANGELICA; 10-30-2012 at 05:33 PM.
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Old 09-12-2011, 02:40 AM   #2 (permalink)
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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:

Spoiler for the lovely lyrics of "Barcarolle":

I found an English translation of the French lyrics, the subject matter of which matches the sound of the song perfectly in my opinion and therefore makes the song even more pleasurable to hear. The lyrics for Offenbach's The Tales of Hoffman appear to have been written by Julse Barbier. Jules Barbier - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lyrics of Jacque Offenbach's "Barcarolle" (English Translation)

Time flies by, and carries away
our tender caresses forever!
Time flies far from this happy oasis
and does not return.

Burning zephyrs,
embrace us with your caresses!
Burning zephyrs,
give us your kisses!
Your kisses! Your kisses! Ah!

Lovely night, oh night of love,
smile upon our joys!
Night much sweeter than the day,
oh beautiful night of love!
Ah! Smile upon our joys!
Night of love, oh night of love!

Where can I find the English translation of "Barcarolle" by Jacques Offenbach? - Yahoo! Answers
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Originally Posted by Neapolitan:
If a chicken was smart enough to be able to speak English and run in a geometric pattern, then I think it should be smart enough to dial 911 (999) before getting the axe, and scream to the operator, "Something must be done! Something must be done!"
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Old 10-14-2012, 03:33 PM   #3 (permalink)
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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!
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Originally Posted by Neapolitan:
If a chicken was smart enough to be able to speak English and run in a geometric pattern, then I think it should be smart enough to dial 911 (999) before getting the axe, and scream to the operator, "Something must be done! Something must be done!"
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Old 10-14-2012, 03:45 PM   #4 (permalink)
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Oh, I had no idea this thread existed. I'll have to come back to it!
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Old 10-20-2012, 01:10 PM   #5 (permalink)
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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
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Originally Posted by Neapolitan:
If a chicken was smart enough to be able to speak English and run in a geometric pattern, then I think it should be smart enough to dial 911 (999) before getting the axe, and scream to the operator, "Something must be done! Something must be done!"
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Old 10-27-2012, 04:01 AM   #6 (permalink)
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Maybe I'm mistaking but I love the Aria of the Goldberg Variations - Bach.

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Old 11-02-2012, 02:01 PM   #7 (permalink)
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Old 12-04-2012, 06:11 AM   #8 (permalink)
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Maria Callas (aka La Divina): O Mio Babbino Caro - Composer: Puccini - Opera: Gianni Schicchi
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Old 12-07-2012, 07:22 PM   #9 (permalink)
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Maria Callas (aka La Divina): O Mio Babbino Caro - Composer: Puccini - Opera: Gianni Schicchi
^ A nice and famous aria addition to the thread!

* * *

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:



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Quote:
Originally Posted by Neapolitan:
If a chicken was smart enough to be able to speak English and run in a geometric pattern, then I think it should be smart enough to dial 911 (999) before getting the axe, and scream to the operator, "Something must be done! Something must be done!"
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Old 12-28-2012, 04:04 AM   #10 (permalink)
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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.
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