Opera for first-timers: arias and voices

What an aria is

An aria is a piece for a single voice, normally lifted from a larger work, usually an opera. The word comes from the Italian for 'air'. It conveys emotion and gives the singer a chance to show vocal skill. Recitative, by contrast, is speech-like and tends to carry the story. In a concert of arias the story is left out and the emotional high points are kept, which is why you can enjoy one without having seen the whole opera.

Tenor and soprano

A tenor is a male singing voice, described as the highest male chest-voice type. A soprano is a female voice, and the highest of all voice types. Sopranos usually sing the leading female roles, often heroines. Tenor roles in this repertoire include Calaf in Turandot and Cavaradossi in Tosca. Tosca herself is a soprano, as is Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi. Guests at the Rome concert describe one tenor and one soprano with a pianist. Sopranos are generally divided into coloratura, soubrette, lyric, spinto and dramatic types, and tenors into lyric, spinto, dramatic, heldentenor and leggero.

Why a piano, not an orchestra

In the Rome concert a grand piano takes the place of the orchestra, so the soloists can perform the arias in a small space. Guests describe a pianist at the keyboard, and some expected a larger ensemble because of the photos. The result is a smaller, more direct sound than a theatre gives, with the voices doing the work. If you want an orchestra, an opera house is the place to look. The concert's composers include Puccini, Bellini and Mascagni, so the piano carries music that was written for much larger forces.

Italian opera singing, recognised by UNESCO

In 2023 UNESCO put the practice of opera singing in Italy on its list of intangible heritage. Its entry describes controlled singing that boosts the carrying power of the voice in acoustic spaces, handed from teacher to pupil through exercises and graded repertoire. Voices are sorted by range and colour into tenor, baritone, bass, soprano, mezzo-soprano and alto. A small church is a good place to hear that carrying power.

How to listen

You do not need the words. Each aria builds a single feeling, whether longing, defiance, joy or grief, and the singer shows it in the voice. Knowing who is singing and in which act, as the arias page on this site sets out for six pieces, adds a layer but is optional. Let the first notes settle, watch the singers rather than a programme, and applaud at the end of each piece when the room does. If a piece seems long, remember that arias are built to express a single emotion rather than move the story along.

Who sings what in Rome's own operas

The Rome premieres give clear examples of voice types at work. In Puccini's Tosca the title role is a soprano and Cavaradossi is a tenor. Elsewhere in the repertoire the pattern repeats, with the lead tenor as the ardent male voice and the soprano as the heroine. The list shows five arias and who sings them, which is a useful map before a concert.

• Nessun dorma (Turandot): Calaf, a tenor
• Vissi d'arte (Tosca): Tosca, a soprano
• E lucevan le stelle (Tosca): Cavaradossi, a tenor
• La donna è mobile (Rigoletto): the Duke of Mantua, a tenor
• O mio babbino caro (Gianni Schicchi): Lauretta, a soprano