Music of a wonderful world

The magnificent world of vocal artistry: a special feature on popular vocal works from opera to art songs.

Piano-playing singer-songwriter / Executive Committee Member, Special Music Festival in Rinku OsakaHousui Sachiyo
I learned to hit the keys on a toy piano, started Electone lessons at six, and began piano at ten. I loved the piano so much that I declared, “I want to go to a music college!” and from junior high I studied vocal music, ear training, and music theory (though I never even took the entrance exam in the end). In my childhood, my saxophone-playing father introduced me to jazz, and my mother to rockabilly. I was utterly obsessed with classical music in junior high. In high school, my grandmother took me to hear live tango performances, and before I knew it I’d become an eclectic listener. Lately, influenced by my high-school-aged daughter, I’ve been listening to koto music and nagauta. I hold the rather rare qualification of ‘Music Proficiency Test Level 3, Western Music track.’

In vocal music, the singer’s body itself becomes the instrument.

Perhaps many of you haven’t really had the chance to listen to it properly?

Vocal music includes a variety of forms such as opera and art songs, and we’ve gathered some famous pieces we highly recommend even for beginners.

You’ll surely be moved, thinking, “Can such rich expression really come from the human body?”

We also recommend listening while paying attention not only to the melody but also to the lyrics and the story.

The magnificent world of vocal music: from opera to art songs—popular vocal pieces (61–70)

Theme song of the movie ‘Princess Mononoke’Hisaishi Joe

Princess Mononoke

Theme song of the movie 'Princess Mononoke'Hisaishi Joe

Yoshikazu Mera, one of Japan’s leading countertenors, is also the person who brought awareness to the presence and artistry of countertenors in Japan.

This song, now a famous theme from an animated film known to all, is one I hope you will listen to repeatedly—while taking in the film’s message, the meaning of the lyrics, and the beauty of his voice.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Night and DreamFranz Peter Schubert

Marilyn Horne – Nacht und Träume – Franz Schubert

Night and DreamFranz Peter Schubert

Composed by Franz Schubert to a poem by Matthäus von Collin, “Nacht und Träume: Night and Dreams” is a beautiful, highly romantic masterpiece—one of the finest among Schubert’s lieder—and is also renowned as a difficult piece because it demands advanced breath-control technique from the singer to maintain legato.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Letter Aria from the opera Eugene OneginPeter Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Kristine Opolais, Tatyana’s Letter Scene, Part 2

Letter Aria from the opera Eugene OneginPeter Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Among the ten operas composed by the great Russian composer Tchaikovsky, the lyrical Eugene Onegin (premiered March 1879) is both a masterpiece and the most popular.

One of its most famous arias is the “Letter Scene.” The opera’s libretto is based on the novel of the same name by Alexander Pushkin.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

GranadaAgustin Lara

Ken Nishikori Granada

GranadaAgustin Lara

Among the many pieces associated with opera, “Granada” is especially well known.

It may sound simple, but it’s actually quite difficult to sing.

If you want a passionate rendition of “Granada,” I recommend Plácido Domingo; if you’re looking for power, Mario Del Monaco’s “Granada” is the one to choose.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Flower Duet from the opera LakméClément Philibert Léo Delibes

Elīna Garanča & Olga Peretyatko – “Flower Duet” @ Le Concert de Paris, July 14, 2014

Flower Duet from the opera LakméClément Philibert Léo Delibes

The “Flower Duet” is a piece in which the soprano and mezzo-soprano duet is exceptionally graceful and strikingly beautiful.

This famous duet aria is sung in the opera Lakmé, composed by Clément Léon Delibes, a French Romantic composer renowned for his ballet music and operas.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

After the DreamGabriel Urbain Fauré

Après un Rêve — Tenebrae Choir

After the DreamGabriel Urbain Fauré

The fantastical and beautiful song “Après un Rêve” (After a Dream) is the first piece in composer Gabriel Fauré’s song set Three Songs, and it is one of his most representative vocal works.

The chorus performed by the members of Tenebrae makes the piece even more captivating.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

From the opera Carmen: ‘This flower that you threw to me’Georges Bizet

Carmen: Flower Song “The flower that you threw to me” — Neil Shicoff

From the opera Carmen: 'This flower that you threw to me'Georges Bizet

A tenor from Munich, Germany, whose romantic yet powerful voice has earned him worldwide acclaim.

His repertoire is extensive, ranging from Mozart and Beethoven to Italian opera, showcasing his remarkable versatility.

In this song, Don José pours out his heartfelt love for Carmen.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem