Scan 153
Groves Dictionary Of Music And Musicians,vol.1 Ed.3, 1904
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1ARIA
3from all other types by the absence of a second part and its attendant Da capo, is, in reality, nothing more than an abbreviated form, either of the Aria cantabile, the Aria di portamento, or the Aria di mezzo carattere, as the case may be. The second act of Handel's 'Teseo' opens with an example which establishes this fact very clearly, needing only the addition of a subordinate strain in order to convert it into a regular Aria cantabile.
5The Aria d'imitazione was written in too many varieties of style to admit the possibility of its restriction to any single class. Warlike airs with trumpet obbligato, hunting-songs with horn accompaniment, echo-songs—such as 'Dite che fà,' in 'Tolomeo'—airs with obbligato flute passages or vocal trills suggestive of the warblings of birds, and descriptive pieces of a hundred other kinds, all fell within this category, and generally exhibited the prominent characteristics of the Aria di mezzo carattere, unless, as was sometimes the case, they were simple enough to be classed as Arie cantabili, or even Arie parlanti, with a more or less elaborate obbligato accompaniment, or contained volute of sufficient brilliancy to enable them to rank as Arie d'agilità.
7The Aria all' unisono is of comparatively rare occurrence, though Handel's operas afford examples. The original form of 'The people that walked in darkness' ('Messiah') is a fine specimen of the class. 'Bel piacer,' sung by Isabella Girardeau, in 'Rinaldo,' and generally regarded as the typical example of the style, is a pure Aria cantabile, written for an expressive soprano, supported only by a single violin part, playing in unison with the voice throughout. In the symphonies, a violoncello part is added; but it is never heard simultaneously with the singer. Similar airs will be found in 'Il Pastor Fido' and 'Ariadne'; but we meet with them so seldom that it is doubtful whether they were ever held in any great degree of favour, either by singers or the public. The fine song, 'Il tricerbero umiliato,' in 'Rinaldo,' represents a less rare form, wherein the basses and other instruments all supported the voice in unisons or octaves.
9The Aria concertata was simply an Aria di mezzo carattere, or an Aria parlante, with a more than usually elaborate or original accompaniment. Among the finest known examples of this class we may mention 'Priva son,' in 'Giulio Cesare,' with flute obbligato; 'Hor la tromba,' in 'Rinaldo,' with four trumpets and drums obbligati; an air in 'Il Pastor Fido,' with accompaniments for violins and violoncellos in octaves pizzicato, with a harpsichord part, arpeggiando, throughout; 'Ma quai notte,' in 'Partenope,' accompanied by 2 flutes, 2 violins, viola and theorbo, with violoncelli and bassi pizzicato; 'Se la mia vita,' in 'Ezio,' for 1 violin, viola, violoncello, 2 flutes and 2 horns; 'Alle sfere della gloria,' in 'Sosarme,' for the full stringed band, enriched by 2 oboes and 2 horns; and a highly characteristic scena, in 'Semele'—'Somnus, awake!'—for 2 violins, viola, violoncello, 2 bassoons and organ.
11Finally, the Aria senza accompagnamento, that is without accompaniment of any kind, must be mentioned. An example is to be found in Keiser's 'Inganno fedele.'
13W. S. R.; addns. M.
15ARIADNE AUF NAXOS, opera in one act by Richard Strauss; libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal, designed to follow Molière's comedy 'Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme,' for which Strauss composed eleven incidental musical numbers; produced Stuttgart, Oct. 24, 1912; London (His Majesty's), May 27, 1913. A revised version with an introductory first act to take the place of Molière's comedy, produced Vienna, 1916, was first given in London, May 27, 1924.
17ARIANE ET BARBE-BLEUE, opera in 3 acts; words by Maeterlinck; music by Dukas. Produced Opéra-Comique, May 10, 1907; New York, Mar. 3, 1911.
19ARIBO (b. Orleans?), a scholastic of the mid-eleventh century who lived at St. Emmeran, Ratisbon. He was headmaster of Freising school and wrote Musica, an important commentary on Guido of Arezzo (republished in Gerbert, ii. 197), which seems to show that we do not possess Guido's works in their entirety (Fétis). The preface to Musica appeared separately (Eitner; Fétis).
21ARIENZO, NICOLA DE (b. Naples, Dec. 23, 1842; d. Naples, Apr. 24, 1915), Italian composer. His father was unwilling to allow him to devote himself to music and for long insisted on his studying the law. The son, however, prepared for a musical career unknown to his father and studied at first with Pietro Labriola (piano) and V. Fioravanti (composition). After a meeting with Enrico Petrella, who visited Naples to supervise the production of 'Precauzioni,' the father was persuaded to allow the musical studies to be pursued on Petrella's recommendation. Profiting by the advice of
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