(it ) - A melodic composition like an air, a song or a tune Originally for a single voice with or without accompaniment Often also an instrumental piece with a singable melody [back]
[ah-ree-ah] (Italian) "Air " A self-contained, melodic section of a large-scale vocal work (opera , cantata, or oratorio) sung by a soloist with instrumental or orchestral accompaniment It is distinct from the more speech-like recitative sections There are also arias that exist independent of any larger work, and in the Baroque period, some instrumental works were called arias, such as the theme of Bach'sGoldberg Variations
an elaborate composition for solo voice with instrumental accompaniment; its emphasis is on expression rather than on text, as opposed to the recitative which emphasizes the text