When it comes to building your repertoire for auditions, competitions and performances, choosing the right arias is important.
By carefully selecting a diverse range of arias, languages and styles you can create a well-rounded repertoire package that showcases your full range of vocal skills and provides a clear picture of who you are as an artist.
In this blog post, I’ve listed 111 opera arias for soprano, by Fach, to create and/or renew your repertoire.
Opera Arias For Lyric Coloratura Soprano
Tornami a vagheggiar - Alcina (Handel)
Stizzoso, mio stizzoso - La serva padrona (Pergolesi)
Durch Zartlichkeit und Schmeicheln - Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail (Mozart)
Welche Wonne, welche Lust - Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail (Mozart)
Ma se colpa io non ho! / Batti, batti, o bel Masetto - Don Giovanni (Mozart)
Via via, non e gran mal / Vedrai, carino - Don Giovanni (Mozart)
In uomini! in soldati - Cosi fa tutte (Mozart)
Una donna a quindici anni - Cosi fa tutte (Mozart)
Kommt ein schlanker Bursch gegangen - Der Freischutz (Weber)
Prendi, per me sei libero - L’elisir d’amore (Donizetti)
Ah! tardai troppo / O luce di quest’anima - Linda di Chamounix (Donizetti)
Quel guardo il cavaliere - Don Pasquale (Donizetti)
O rendetemi la speme / Qui la voce sua soave - I puritani (Bellini)
Wohl denn, gefasst ist der Entschluss - Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor (Nicolai)
Je suis Titania - Mignon (Thomas)
Gualtier Malde / Caro nome - Rigoletto (Verdi)
Saper vorreste - Un ballo in maschera (Verdi)
Sul fil d’un soffio etesio - Falstaff (Verdi)
Je veux vivre - Romeo et Juliette (Gounod)
Les oiseaux dans la charmille - Les Contes d’Hoffmann (Offenbach)
Mein Herr Marquis - Die Fledermaus (Strauss Jr.)
Ou va la jeune Indoue - Lakme (Delibes)
Obeisson quand leur voix appelle - Manon (Messenet)
Frere! Voyez! - Wether (Massenet)
Quando men n’ vo - La boheme (Puccini)
Grobmachtige Prinzessin - Ariadne auf Naxos (Strauss)
Glitter and be gay - Candide (Bernstein)
Opera Arias for Lyric Soprano
Qual vita / Che fiero memento - Orfeo ed Euridice (Gluck)
Ruhe sanft - Zaide (Mozart)
Giunse alfin il memento / Deh vieni non tardar - Le nozze di Figaro (Mozart)
Ach, ich fuhl’s - Die Zauberflote (Mozart)
S’altro che lacrime - La clemenza di Tito (Mozart)
O war’ ich schon mit dir vereint - Fidlio (Beethoven)
Auf des Lebens raschen Wogen - Der Wildschutz (Lortzing)
Eccomi in lieta vesta / oh! Quante volte - I Capuleti e i Montecchi (Bellini)
Letze Rose - Martha (Flotow)
O mio babbino caro - Gianni schicchi (Puccini)
V’adoro, pupil - Giulio cesare (Handel)
Non disperar - Giulio cesare (Handel)
Piangero la sorte mia - Giulio cesare (Handel)
Porgi amor - Le nozze di Figaro (Mozart)
E Susanna non vien! / Dove sono i bei momenti - Le nozze di Figaro (Mozart)
Sombre foret - Guillaume Tell (Rossini)
Come in quest’ora bruna - Simon Boccanegra (Verdi)
Que vois-je la? / Ah! Je ris de me voir - Faust - (Gounod)
Elle a fui, la tourterelle! - Les Contes d’Hoffmann (Offenbach)
Och, jaky zal! / Ten lasky sen - Prodana nevesta (Smetana)
Je dis, que rien ne m’epouvante - Carmen (Bizet)
Scena pis’ma - Evgenij Onegin (Tschaikowsky)
Qual fiamma / Stridono lassu - I Pagliacci (Leoncavallo)
Adieu, notre petite table - Manon (Massenet)
Je suis encor - Manon (Massenet)
Si, mi chiamano Mimi - La boheme (Puccini)
Donde lieta - La boheme (Puccini)
Chi il bel sogno di Doretta - La rondine (Puccini)
Signore, acolta! - Turandot (Puccini)
Tu che di gel sei cinta - Turnadot (Puccini)
Mesicku na nebi hlubokem (Song to the Moon) - Rusalka (Dvorak)
Depuis le jour - Louise (Charpentier)
Son pochi fiori - L’amico Fritz (Mascagni)
Embroidery in childhood - Peter Grimes (Britten)
Opera Arias for Dramatic Coloratura Soprano
Tutte nel cor vi sento - Idomeneo (Mozart)
D’Oreste, d’Aiace - Idomeneo (Mozart)
Ach ich liebte, war so glucklich! - Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail (Mozart)
Martern aller Arten - Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail (Mozart)
Ah fuggi il traditor - Don Giovanni (Mozart)
In quali eccessi / Mi tradi quell’alma ingrata - Don Giovanni (Mozart)
Era gia alquanto / Or sai chi l’onore - Don Giovanni (Mozart)
Crudele! Ah no, mio bene! / Non mi dir - Don Giovanni (Mozart)
Temerari / Come scoglio - Cosi fan tutte (Mozart)
Ei parte…senti! / Per pieta, ben mio - Cosi fan tutte (Mozart)
O zittre nicht - Die Zauberflote (Mozart)
Der Holle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen - Die Zauberflote (Mozart)
Deh se piacer mi vuoi - La clemenza di Tito (Mozart)
Regnava nel silenzio - Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti)
Spargi d’amaro pianto - Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti)
Casta Diva - Norma (Bellini)
Nun eilt herbei - Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor (Nicolai)
Surta e la notte / Ernani, involami - Ernani (Verdi)
Merce, dilette amiche - I vespri siciliani (Verdi)
Un’altra notte / Tacea la notte placida / Di tale amor - Il trovatore (Verdi)
Timor di me? / D’amor sull’ali rosee - La traviata (Verdi)
E strano / Ah fors’e lui / sempre libera - La traviata (Verdi)
Klange der Heimat - Die Fledermaus (Strauss Jr.)
L’altra notte in fondo al mare - Mefistofele (Boito)
Opera Arias for Dramatic Soprano
Und ob die Wolke sie verhulle - Der Freischutz (Weber)
Dich, teure Halle, grub ich wieder - Tannhauser (Wagner)
Einsam in truben Tagen - Lohengrin (Wagner)
Du bist der Lenz - Die Wakure (Wagner)
Morro, ma prima in grazia - Un ballo in maschera (Verdi)
Pace, pace, mio dio - La forza del destino (Verdi)
Tu che le vanita conoscesti - Don Carlo (Verdi)
Mi parea / Ave Maria - Otello (Verdi)
Suicidio - La Gioconda (Ponchielli)
De cet affreux combat / Pleurez mes yeux! - Le Cid (Massenet)
Ebben? Ne andro lontana - La Wally (Catalani)
Sola, perduta, abbanonata - Manon Lescaut (Puccini)
In quelle trine morbide - Manon Lescaut (Puccini)
Senza mamma - Suor Angelica (Puccini)
Vissi d’arte - Tosca - (Puccini)
Un bel di, vedremo - Madama Butterfly (Puccini)
Io son l’umile ancella - Adriana Lecouvreur (Cilea)
La mamma morta - Andrea Chenier (Giordano)
Gluck, das mir verblieb - Die tote Stadt (Korngold)
Divinites du Stix - Alceste (Gluck)
Abscheulicher, wo eilst du hin - Fidelio (Beethoven)
Ozean, du Ungeheuer! - Oberon (Weber)
Traft ihr das schiff - Der fliegende Hollander (Wagner)
Hojotoho - Die Walkure (Wagner)
Mild und liese - Tristan und Isolde (Wagner)
Ritorna vincitor - Aida (Verdi)
How to Choose the Right Arias
When it comes to choosing the right arias, there are a few key factors to consider:
Choose Arias you Love to Perform
Everyone will have different opinions regarding what arias best suit your voice.
And welcome repertoire advice and suggestions from teachers you trust.
But by choose repertoire that really resonates with you vocally, emotionally, and dramatically you’ll deliver an outstanding performance that won’t go unnoticed.
Choose Arias that Suit your Vocal Abilities
It is important to choose arias that you can sing right now.
Present repertoire that shows your current strengths and abilities and highlights your vocal and performance skills that make you stand out.
Ideally, arias should be taken from roles you are ready to perform in full.
But it can be tempting to choose a difficult aria but if for example, an aria has notes that are too high or too low for you to sing comfortably, this can be a big risk.
You’re far more likely to be successful, particularly with audition and competition panels, if you sing a beautifully performed and confidently executed piece than something difficult.
Choose Arias that show your full range of vocal skills
A well-rounded repertoire package should also represent the languages, musical styles and technical skills for the types of roles your best suited for.
Consider your Fach and the qualities of your voice and how they match the style of an aria.
For example, if you have a light, agile voice, you might feel comfortable singing bel canto arias, which are known for their ornate, florid melodies.
On the other hand, if you have a darker, more powerful voice, you might feel more at home singing verismo arias, which are known for their emotional intensity and dramatic flair.
Avoid repertoire that cannot be performed confidently or accurately or exposes technical flaws and weaknesses.
Guide to Operatic Roles and Arias by Richard Boldrey is a great resource for breaking down the Fach system and providing helpful repertoire sections.
Choose Arias that show Personal style and character:
Choose arias that match your personal style and the characters you feel most comfortable portraying.
If you enjoy, and vocally well-suited to singing more lighthearted, playful roles, you might look for arias that reflect that.
On the other hand, if you prefer more dramatic, emotional roles, you might look for arias that allow you to delve into those depths.
The difficulty here is that the arias are performed out of context. You have no set, costume or other characters to help you tell the story.
Choose repertoire where you're familiar with the character and dramatic interpretation, where you can present your storytelling skills and deliver a compelling performance.
By considering these factors, you can find arias that suit your vocal range, style, and character, and that will allow you to give a confident and authentic performance.
Recommended Songbooks
OperAria (Opera Arias) Soprano, Vol.3 (dramatic)
OperAria (Opera Arias) Soprano, Vol.4 (dramatic coloratura)
It is also important to remember that finding the right arias is a process, and it may take some experimentation to find the arias that showcase your vocal abilities.
Don't be afraid to try out different arias and see what works best for you.
With time and practice, you will be able to create a well-rounded repertoire package that will help you showcase your unique strengths, allow you to give your best performance, and help you stand out as a performer.
Found this blog post helpful? Give it a like, share it with your friends, and leave a comment below to let me know how it benefited you!
* Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog post is for general informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional or medical advice. Singers and professional voice users should always consult with qualified professionals, such as singing teachers or medical practitioners before making any decisions or taking any actions related to their vocal health and wellbeing.
Further Reading
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