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A self-contained song for a solo voice in an opera, oratorio, or cantata — usually expressing a character's emotions at a particular dramatic moment.
The aria is where dramatic action pauses and emotion takes over. Write arias that give the voice room to express and display — long melodic lines, expressive intervals, climactic high notes. The text repeats because the emotion needs time to unfold. Match the vocal style to the character and dramatic moment.
Puccini's "Nessun dorma" from "Turandot" — the quintessential tenor aria, building from hushed opening to blazing high B-flat.
Aria is one of 228 terms in the Gradus musical dictionary, where every definition is written around how composers actually use the word.
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