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 artistry: A special feature on popular vocal works from opera to art songs (71–80)

Kyrie “From J.S. Bach: Mass in B minor”J.S.Bach

BACH MASS IN B MINOR: KYRIE Hengelbrock

Kyrie “From J.S. Bach: Mass in B minor”J.S.Bach

The majestic and dignified vocal piece “Kyrie” is sung in Johann Sebastian Bach’s Mass in B minor (BWV 232).

Alongside the St.

Matthew Passion and the St.

John Passion, the Mass in B minor is regarded as one of the finest masterpieces among Bach’s compositions.

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“Catalogue Aria” from the opera Don GiovanniWolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Erwin Schrott, “Madamina, il catalogo è questo” (from Mozart’s Don Giovanni)

“Catalogue Aria” from the opera Don GiovanniWolfgang Amadeus Mozart

A baritone singer from Uruguay in South America, he has gained popularity for his exotic, richly resonant voice and strikingly handsome appearance.

This piece is sung in the scene where the servant Leporello tries to calm the indignant Elvira as he reads from a notebook and tallies up his master’s womanizing.

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Hallelujah from the oratorio MessiahGeorg Friedrich Händel

Händel Messiah – Hallelujah Chorus

Hallelujah from the oratorio MessiahGeorg Friedrich Händel

Handel’s Messiah is a masterpiece of oratorio that stands alongside Bach’s St.

Matthew Passion, and it is famous in European concerts for the audience giving a standing ovation during the “Hallelujah Chorus.” This custom stems from the British tradition of standing when songs praising God are performed.

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“Lord, Have Mercy” from the St. Matthew PassionJ.S.Bach

Bach: St. Matthew Passion — “Erbarme dich, mein Gott” — Aafje Heynis

“Lord, Have Mercy” from the St. Matthew PassionJ.S.Bach

A Canadian alto (contralto) singer.

Known for her mastery of Mahler, she is distinguished by a deep, majestic voice.

This piece is an aria themed on the Bible, and Forrester gently envelops listeners with her compassionate singing.

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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.

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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.

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hometown

Hometown by Yumiko Sameshima

hometown

A leading Japanese soprano whose soft, richly resonant voice is deeply appealing.

She is also known for the success of her album featuring beloved Japanese songs, which conveys the spirit of Japan in a way distinct from enka.

This song, known by everyone in Japan, becomes even more evocative through Yumiko Samejima’s beautiful soprano.

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In conclusion

We introduced a wide range of vocal works, from sopranos with captivating transparency and mezzo-sopranos with rich resonance to baritones and basses with commanding depth. Were you able to savor the warmth unique to the human voice, as well as its breathtaking beauty that almost defies belief? There are still many masterpieces in songs and operas, so please be sure to explore them.