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

Waltz “Voices of Spring” with solo voiceJohann Strauss II

Strauss – Kathleen Battle – Frühlingsstimmen – Voices of Spring

The brilliantly festive and joy-filled piece Frühlingsstimmen (Voices of Spring) is a world-famous vocal waltz composed by Johann Strauss II, inspired when his close friend, the great pianist Franz Liszt, was playing an improvised piano duet with the hostess at a party in Budapest, Hungary.

Casta Diva from the opera NormaVincenzo Salvatore Carmelo Francesco Bellini

Norma – Casta diva (Sonya Yoncheva, The Royal Opera)

Bulgarian soprano Sonya Yoncheva, who drew the opera world’s attention by winning the Operalia competition in 2010 and soared to the top globally in both popularity and skill after her great success in La sonnambula at the Paris Opera in 2013, delivers a magnificent performance of Casta Diva, the famous aria from Bellini’s opera Norma, a piece considered one of the most challenging for sopranos.

Motet “Rejoice, be glad, O blessed souls,” HallelujahWolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Julia Lezhneva, Il Giardino Armonico, Giovanni Antonini – Alleluia

The third movement “Alleluia” from the motet Exsultate, jubilate (“Rejoice, be glad, O blessed soul”), composed by Mozart in 1773, is a celebrated vocal piece whose bright, pure character evokes angels dancing and playing in the clear blue sky.

Although originally written for a castrato, it is now performed as an important repertoire piece by female lyric sopranos capable of producing high tessitura.

Night and DreamFranz Peter Schubert

Marilyn Horne – Nacht und Träume – Franz 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.

Letter Aria from the opera Eugene OneginPeter Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Kristine Opolais, Tatyana’s Letter Scene, Part 2

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.

Starlit NightClaude Debussy

Debussy – Nuit d’étoiles (Natalie Dessay)

A soprano singer from France, praised as one of the greatest of our time.

Her gentle yet radiant voice is captivating, but she has been plagued by vocal cord problems that have forced her to undergo surgery multiple times.

She is now active across a broader range of genres beyond classical music.

In this piece, you can fully enjoy Dessay’s characteristically light, soaring high notes.

GranadaAgustin Lara

Ken Nishikori Granada

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

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.

After the DreamGabriel Urbain Fauré

Après un Rêve — Tenebrae Choir

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.

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

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.