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A solo vocal piece with instrumental accompaniment, often showcasing the singer's ability; Example: 'Nessun dorma' from Puccini's Turandot.

An orchestral introduction to an opera; Example: The overture of Rossini's William Tell.

The highest female voice type; Example: The role of Violetta in Verdi's La Traviata is written for a soprano.

A 'total work of art' that seeks to synthesize the visual, musical, and dramatic arts; Example: Wagner's Ring Cycle is considered a Gesamtkunstwerk.

A short, recurring musical phrase associated with a particular person, place, or idea; Example: The 'Ride of the Valkyries' from Wagner's Die Walküre.

A female voice type that ranges between soprano and contralto; Example: The role of Carmen in Bizet's Carmen is a famous mezzo-soprano role.

A style of delivery in which a singer is allowed to adopt the rhythms of ordinary speech; Example: Recitative in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro.

A short connecting instrumental movement in an opera or other musical work; Example: The intermezzo in Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana.

The German system of classifying operatic roles and voices; Example: A dramatic soprano would be classified differently than a lyric soprano according to the fach system.

The highest male voice type in opera; Example: The part of Rodolfo in Puccini's La Bohème is a tenor role.

A display of daring or brilliance in a performance; Example: The 'Queen of the Night' aria requires bravura singing.

A bass singer who specializes in comic roles; Example: Dr. Bartolo in Rossini's The Barber of Seville.

The leading lady of an opera company; Example: A famous prima donna was Maria Callas.

Elaborate ornamentation of a vocal melody; Example: The aria 'Der Hölle Rache' from Mozart's The Magic Flute demonstrates coloratura.

A male voice type that lies between tenor and bass; Example: The title role in Verdi's Rigoletto is for a baritone.

A male singer castrated before puberty to preserve the soprano or alto voice range; Example: Farinelli was a famous castrato.

The text or script of the opera, the words that the singers sing; Example: Da Ponte's libretto for Mozart's Don Giovanni.

A style of singing that emphasizes beautiful tone and technique; Example: Works by Donizetti, like Lucia di Lammermoor.

A method of voice production used by male singers to sing notes higher than their normal range; Example: Countertenors often use falsetto.