arioso
9.9
A short sung passage more like a song than speech
- noun
- /ˌɛəriˈoʊzoʊ/
- Specialized
:
arioso
- However, most of the recitatives are accompanied, sometimes quite extensively, and become, in effect, ariosos.
Examples
-
The composer added a beautiful arioso that highlighted the soloist's voice.
-
Indeed, this recitative really becomes here an arioso.
Academic text (2000) -
During the performance, the singer captured the audience's attention with a stunning arioso.
-
The opera featured several arioso passages that flowed gracefully between the dialogues.
Synonyms
9.9
A short, simple song in an opera for one singer
is shorter and less formally structured, more melodic than recitative
Antonyms
recitative
- Specialized
1
9.9
A way of singing that sounds like speaking to tell the story in an opera
How Melodic
Surface Forms
Etymology
Arioso comes from the Italian word aria ('air' or 'song') plus the ending -oso meaning 'full of'. So an arioso is a short, songlike vocal passage — literally 'full of air' or melody — which is why it sounds more musical than the speech-like recitative.