| The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition. 2002. |
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| aria |
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| (AHR-ee-uh) A piece of music for one voice (or occasionally two voices) in an opera, oratorio, or cantata. In contrast with recitative singing, arias are melodious; in contrast with ordinary songs, arias are usually elaborate. | 1 |
| ‡ Some composers, such as Richard Wagner, have felt that arias interrupt the action of opera too much and hence have written operas without them. | 2 |
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| | | The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition. Edited by E.D. Hirsch, Jr., Joseph F. Kett, and James Trefil. Copyright © 2002 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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