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

St John PassionJ.S.Bach

Bach – St John Passion BWV 245 – Van Veldhoven | Netherlands Bach Society

A pinnacle of Passion oratorios that renders biblical narratives in music with majestic harmonies and dramatic development.

Composed by the father of music, Johann Sebastian Bach, this work centers on the Evangelist’s narration, interweaving the crowd’s fiercely emotional choruses with arias that voice profound personal lament and prayer.

One is drawn into a world that combines the tension of an epic opera with the serenity of chorales that soothe the soul.

Premiered in Leipzig on April 7, 1724, this masterpiece is today represented by numerous celebrated recordings, such as Bach Collegium Japan’s album “J.S.

Bach: St.

John Passion, BWV 245.” When you want to immerse yourself in richly narrative classical music, why not surrender to its dramatic resonance?

Oratorio “Saint Nichiren”Mayuzumi Toshirō

Toshiro Mayuzumi: Oratorio “Saint Nichiren” (world premiere)

Toshiro Mayuzumi is known as a composer who represents Japan’s postwar music scene.

He was active not only in contemporary music but also in film music.

Among his works, this grand piece—expressing a Buddhist worldview through the Western oratorio form—is nothing short of overwhelming.

It depicts the life of Nichiren in five parts—Sea, Flower, Light, Snow, and Mountain—where Japanese narration, a sonorous chorus, and a symphonic orchestra unite to weave an epic narrative.

In the final section, the climactic rise powered by the repeated chanting of the daimoku is sure to stir the listener’s soul.

The work premiered in April 1982 as part of the commemoration of the 700th anniversary of Saint Nichiren’s passing.

It is a masterpiece I strongly recommend to anyone seeking a one-of-a-kind musical experience that fuses Japanese spirituality with the framework of Western music.

“O God of Love, Behold” from the opera The Marriage of FigaroWolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Maria Callas – Porgi amor

The aria “Porgi amor” from Mozart’s opera The Marriage of Figaro is a piece enveloped in elegance and noble grace, sung here by Maria Callas, the greatest opera singer of the 20th century whose name is etched in history.

Based on a play written in 1784 by the French playwright Beaumarchais, Mozart composed the work in 1786.

Ave MariaGiulio Caccini

Ave Maria (In the Style of Giulio Caccini)

Giulio Caccini’s (1545–1618) Ave Maria, Schubert’s Ave Maria, and Gounod’s (Bach’s) Ave Maria are famous as the world’s three great Ave Marias.

However, the truth is that Caccini’s Ave Maria was actually composed by the Soviet musician Vladimir Vavilov (1925–1973).

Easter OratorioJ.S.Bach

Bach – Easter Oratorio: Kommt, eilet und laufet BWV 249 – Van Veldhoven | Netherlands Bach Society

A resplendent fanfare announces the dawn of resurrection in this festive oratorio by Johann Sebastian Bach.

Its great appeal lies in the magnificent instrumental writing—featuring trumpets and timpani—and the dramatic dialogues among the four soloists who portray the characters.

The music vividly depicts the disciples’ quickened steps as they hurry to the Lord’s tomb and the subtle shift of their hearts from astonishment to conviction.

Premiered on Easter Day in April 1725, the work also has the intriguing background of having originally been a different celebratory cantata.

It is a masterpiece perfectly suited for immersing oneself in a world of hope and joy, enveloped in the majestic sonorities of orchestra and voices.

At the end of the wilderness

At the End of the Wilderness — Angels We Have Heard on High — Lyrics/Translation [CC]

This is a captivating number with a majestic, melancholic sound reminiscent of a Western.

It’s the song that brought singer Yuzo Yamashita to wide recognition.

Released in November 1972 as the theme for the TV period drama “Hissatsu Shikakenin,” it’s included on the album “Uta, Sono Shuppatsu” (Song, Its Departure).

In the desolate world painted by the lyricist, the protagonist’s profound inner spirit—bearing a merciless fate yet holding fast to his convictions—is conveyed through Yamashita’s richly emotive vocals.

The dramatic structure, ascending from silence to a climactic peak, is breathtaking.

It’s a soul-stirring track for those who want to immerse themselves in highly narrative music.

The Promised LandUematsu Nobuo

The Promised Land

This piece is notable for its sacred, hymn-like chorus.

The composer is Nobuo Uematsu, world-renowned as a master of video game music, and he has crafted it into a solemn, chorale-style work.

The Latin lyrics seem to convey fundamental questions—why humans bear sin and suffer, and where life returns—as well as sorrow toward an inescapable fate.

The track is included on the soundtrack FINAL FANTASY VII ADVENT CHILDREN, released in September 2005.

In the film, it is used as an insert song during a moving scene in which the characters ascend to the heavens.

It’s recommended for nights when you want to quietly immerse yourself in a grand, epic world.

“Vissi d’arte, vissi d’amore” from the opera ToscaGiacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini

Angela Gheorghiu – Puccini – Tosca – ‘Vissi d’arte’

“Vissi d’arte, vissi d’amore: I Lived for Art, I Lived for Love” by Angela Gheorghiu, a Romanian soprano and one of the greatest divas of our time, is an aria from Puccini’s opera Tosca and is among the world’s finest soprano arias.

I Want to Live in My Dream, from the opera Romeo and JulietCharles François Gounod

Diana Damrau Je Veux Vivre (Roméo et Juliette, Gounod)

With a sweet, bright, and beautiful melody, “Je veux vivre” (“I want to live in a dream”), a piece that joyfully expresses the happiness that has come into one’s life, is a famous aria from the opera Romeo et Juliette by the French composer Charles François Gounod.

The original work is based on the play of the same name by William Shakespeare.

Come Again to Please Me (from the opera “Alcina”)Georg Friedrich Händel

G. F. Händel: Tornami a vagheggiar

The dazzlingly beautiful “Tornami a vagheggiar,” which sings of the feeling of love, is a famous da capo aria from one of the masterworks of opera by the great Baroque composer George Frideric Handel, Alcina.