Aria

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɑː.ɹi.ə/

Definitions

1. a solo vocal melody in an opera or oratorio that showcases a character's emotion or narrative
2. a prominent solo song performed by a single voice within a musical composition, typically in operatic works
3. an extended melodic solo sung by one performer to express feeling or advance the story in a theatrical musical work

Etymology: The Italian word for "air" was once a route to a vocal showpiece. Latin "aer" (accusative "aerem") came from Ancient Greek "aēr", meaning air, and in Italian the sounds were rearranged by metathesis, a swap of sound positions, to give "aria". Italian "aria" originally meant air in the everyday sense, as the English word "air" does, which is why English keeps "air" and "aria" as doublets, two words from the same source that arrived by different routes. The musical sense is a later extension. The word was applied to a melody or tune, and from there to the solo song that stands out within an opera or other large vocal work. The thread connecting a breath of air to a singer's solo is simply the notion of a melody floating above the rest of the music.

Synonyms: melody, tune, song, air, chant