The magnificent world of vocal artistry: a special feature on popular vocal works from opera to art songs.
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.
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The magnificent world of singing. From opera to art songs: a selection of popular vocal pieces (21–30)
“Solveig’s Song” from the opera Peer GyntEdvard Hagerup Grieg
This work was commissioned from Edvard Grieg, the leading composer of Norway’s national school, to provide incidental music for the masterpiece Peer Gynt, written in 1867 by the world-renowned playwright Henrik Ibsen, and it premiered at the Royal Theatre in Oslo in February 1876.
The beautifully lyrical Solveig’s Song, performed within the play, became especially famous.
Praise the LordWolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Amid the silence, a beautiful melody flows, and the soothing vocal piece is “Laudate Dominum.” Composed by Mozart, it is the fifth movement of the Vespers “Vesperae solennes de confessore, K.
339” (Solemn Vespers for a Confessor).
Sempre libera from the opera La TraviataGiuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi
The renowned soprano Anna Netrebko—one of the world’s foremost in both popularity and artistry—delivers the famous aria “Sempre Libera” from Giuseppe Verdi’s masterpiece La Traviata with exceptional expressiveness.
Carried by the light waltz rhythm, her vibrant, bursting-with-life, beautiful voice is utterly captivating.
Ombra mai fuGeorg Friedrich Händel
The aria “Ombra mai fu” from Handel’s opera Serse—often performed as an instrumental piece under the title “Largo”—is a famous work whose graceful melody is filled with tenderness and brings calm to the heart.
Although it was originally written for a castrato, today it is sung as a repertoire piece by many sopranos.
Ave MariaFranz Peter Schubert
Ave Maria.
There are works by many composers.
Schubert’s Ave Maria is also a famous piece.
The beautiful piano introduction is truly lovely, and from there you’re captivated by the gentle, soaring vocals.
It can be called a vocal masterpiece that soothes the heart.
It’s a wonderful work you’d want to hear in a church.
From the opera The Magic Flute: ‘The joy of love vanishes like dew’Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
The wistful and beautiful melody ‘Ach, ich fühl’s, es ist verschwunden’ (Love’s joy has vanished like dew) is a famous soprano aria from The Magic Flute—one of Mozart’s three great operas—sung as No.
17, and it was composed in 1791.
The opera The Tales of Hoffmann: The birds in the forest sing of longingJacques Offenbach
Luciana Serra is a coloratura soprano from Genoa, Italy.
She is known for her brilliant beauty of tone and exceptional technique in delivering ornate high notes with precision.
In this piece, she takes on the role of the mechanical doll Olympia, singing with both comic flair and delicate charm.
‘Your gentle voice’ from the opera ‘I Puritani’Vincenzo Salvatore Carmelo Francesco Bellini
Vincenzo Bellini (1801–1835), a leading composer of early 19th-century Italian opera who died at the young age of just 34, wrote his final opera, I Puritani.
The aria Qui la voce sua soave (often rendered as “Your gentle voice”) from this work is renowned for its exquisite, beautiful melody and remains highly popular, having been performed by many soprano singers, including Maria Callas and Anna Netrebko.
“Caro nome” from the opera RigolettoGiuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi
Maki Mori is a Japanese soprano who combines vocal prowess with beauty and performs on the world stage.
With a voice full of clarity, she conveys the rising emotions of Gilda, a heroine who gradually becomes aware of her love.
It’s a piece whose impression changes dramatically depending on the singer, but Mori imparts a sense of freshness and elegance.
“Song to the Moon” from the opera “Rusalka”Antonín Leopold Dvořák
Song to the Moon is a famous aria in which the water nymph Rusalka, who has fallen in love with a human, sings her wistful feelings to the moon.
This piece is the well-known aria from Act 1 of Rusalka, the ninth opera composed by Antonín Dvořák.
It was composed in 1900 and premiered at the National Theatre in Prague in March 1901.