ARIA

ARIA. - By this name were designated various forms of composition which were continually renewed both in the field of sacred and religious music and in that of secular music. The use of the term, already found in the works of Ingegneri (1545-92), Giovannelli (1560-1625), and Caccini (1550-1618), spread rapidly, denoting song for one voice. The aria attained its fullest development in the eighteenth century. It is a piece which may stand by itself or form part of a cantata, oratorio, or opera, and is for one voice with orchestral accompaniment or, in reductions, with piano accompaniment. The music of the aria is a moment of emotional expansion, and always predominates over the words: it is the music that interprets the state of mind suggested by the text. Long arias were often composed to very brief texts. The principal forms are: aria in rondo form, aria in variation form, aria in open form with constantly differing periods, etc. The most important form is the closed one with the « da capo al fine », which is encountered very frequently in the works of the great masters. The aria of « bravura » or « agility », with excessive repetition of words and long vocalises intended to display the singers’ vocal abilities, has now fallen into disuse.

Alessandro Santini