Aria
The solo number where opera stops to reflect
Related
An aria is the solo number where opera stops to reflect — in opera, oratorio or cantata the plot pauses and a character unfolds a feeling into a complete song. It divides the work with recitative: recitative moves the plot, aria expands the emotion.
The Baroque da capo aria is A–B–A: sing A, then B, then return to A, with the singer ornamenting the repeat. The usual mistake is to call any song in an opera an aria — it specifically means a self-contained solo number that can be performed alone; choruses, ensembles and recitative are not arias.
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Sources
- 咏叹调与宣叙调的分工及返始形式，参 The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, "Aria"；本文为原创表述
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