A Aria -- A song for one voice which is accompanied by instrumental music. Arietta -- A short aria. Arioso -- An arioso has a melody like an aria, but advances the story like a recitative. Atonal -- Music that is not in any specific key, usually sounds foreign to most people. B Baritone -- This is the medium male voice that falls between the low bass voice and the higher tenor voice. Bass -- The bass is the lowest of the male voices. Bass-baritone -- A male voice that combines the baritone and the bass, but avoids the extremes of either range. basso buffo -- Sung by a bass, this comedic character usually sings quick repeated notes in the very low range. Bel canto -- Italian for "beautiful singing." A Bel canto is a style of opera in which the human voice receives more importance than the words or even the story. Brava -- An enthusiastic expression shouted out by audience members at the end of an outstanding act or performance by a female singer. Bravi -- An enthusiastic expression shouted out by audience members at the end of an outstanding act or performance by more than one singer. Bravo -- An enthusiastic expression shouted out by audience members at the end of an outstanding act or performance. C Cabaletta -- Usually in bel canto operas, this is a fast aria that generally follows a more solemn, thoughtful one. It stresses the singer's vocal abilities and often ends with a high note that the singer sustains. Cadenza -- A series of fast high notes near the end of an aria. Castrato -- A male with a high singing voice. Cavatina -- A short, simple, melodic and expressive aria. Chest voice -- A term for the low notes that are produced within the chest cavity. Coloratura soprano -- A high pitched soprano, or a style of fast singing, high singing, trills, embellishments etc. Contralto -- The lowest, female voice. Counterpoint -- The coming together of two, three, four or even more independent musical lines. Countertenor -- A high male voice that generally sings within the female contralto or mezzo soprano range. Crescendo -- Progressively getting louder. D Diminuendo -- Progressively getting softer. Dissonant -- The notes sound like they do not belong together. Diva -- A female opera star. Often used to describe a demanding or fussy opera star. F Falsetto -- The high part of a man's voice which sounds like a woman's voice. Forte -- Strong or loud. Fortissimo -- Very strong or very loud. H Heldentenor -- A heldentenor has a wonderful set of high notes combined with a strong lower voice, almost like a baritone. Is also capable of performing long passages, which require good vocal stamina. L Leitmotif -- Invented by Richard Wagner, a leitmotif is a musical theme assigned to the main character or idea in the opera. Libretto -- The text of an opera. Lyric voice -- A sweet and soft sounding voice.