Last month I compiled a list of modern arias for soprano,  but I certainly didn't forget about mezzos! If you are sick of singing "Must The Winter Come So Soon," this list will help you find modern arias for your audition package, an upcoming recital, or any other occasion!  Each aria below is by a different composer, and the selections vary in musical style and character type. 

1. There Is A Garden (1952)

Composer: Leonard Bernstein

Opera: Trouble in Tahiti

Character: Dinah

What's happening: Dinah, a 1950s suburban housewife, recounts a dream to her psychoanalyst. She is stuck in a garden that is dead and overridden with weeds and sits under a dark, black sky. She hears a voice calling her to a "shining garden" full of "harmony and grace,” but she doesn't know how to get there. In real life, Dinah is in a dying marriage and she doesn't know how she and her husband, Sam, can communicate meaningfully and find love again.

What the aria showcases: The aria is filled with beautiful, touching lyricism, which demands smooth legato and emotional sensitivity to the text. If performed well, this aria can be a real tear-jerker.

2. As I Was Saying… (1954)

Composer: Igor Stravinsky

Opera: The Rake's Progress

Character: Baba the Turk

What's happening: Tom Rakewell has abandoned his beloved Anne Trulove and married Baba the Turk, a bearded lady, per the advice of his shady new "friend,” Nick Shadow. His new wife turns out to be quite the chatterbox.

What the aria showcases: The singer must be an excellent comedic actress, navigating sections of pitter-patter and large intervals between pitches. 

3. Ah Michele, Don't You Know (1955)

Composer: Gian Carlo Menotti

Opera: The Saint of Bleecker Street

Character: Desideria

What's happening in the aria: Desideria wants her boyfriend, Michele, to move in with her, but he refuses to abandon his sister, Annina. Annina experiences the stigmata and has mystical visions, but Michele regards her as seriously ill and in need of protection. Desideria doesn't understand why he cares about his sister so much and she warns Michele that her love can turn to hate.

What the aria showcases: The first section of the aria is full of beautiful, swooping lyric lines. Deadly piano phrases foreshadow the more explosive, forte passages in the latter part. The singer must execute both lyric and dramatic passages well, and should color the calmer sections just as intensely as the stormy ones.

4. I Am An Actress (1972)

Composer: Thomas Pasatieri

Opera: The Seagull

Character: Nina

What's happening: Nina has tried to become an actress in Moscow and pursue the man she loves, Trigorin. Neither pursuit has worked out for her, and she has been forced to perform with a small, second-rate theater. At first, she is dismal about her outcome, but towards the end of the aria, she becomes optimistic that she will achieve her dream of being an actress.

What the aria showcases: The text of the aria rolls out in an stream-of-consciousness manner, requiring the singer to be completely present in the moment and show how one thought leads to the next. The very end features a high C, requiring a mezzo-soprano voice with a high extension.

5. Shaun, Do Not Go (1975)

Composer: Richard Cumming

Opera: The Picnic

Character: Rebecca Ferris

What's happening: Rebecca and Shaun Ferris have been enjoying an outdoor picnic with their friends and their new ward, Anna Ferris. However, over the course of the outing, Shaun has become more and more drawn to Anna, and the two even share a kiss. In this aria, Rebecca begs her husband not to leave her.

What the aria showcases: "Shaun, Do Not Go" is another aria that requires emotional sensitivity and that should break hearts. The phrases should shimmer with sweetness and pleading, soaring gently over the rolling accompaniment.

6. Bellino's Aria (1984)

Composer: Dominick Argento

Opera: Casanova's Homecoming

Character: Bellino

What's happening: In 18th century Venice, Casanova has been tricked into seducing a castrato soprano named Bellino. However, Bellino explains that her real name is Teresa; she is a woman pretending to be a male castrato in order to make a living.

What the aria showcases: Much of this aria is comprised of recitativo and declamatory singing. Several phrases, especially in the latter half of the aria, lie in a higher tessitura. 

7. La Anunciación (2000)

Composer: John Adams

Opera: El Niño

Character: Mezzo-Soprano Soloist

What's happening: El Niño is an opera-oratorio about the Nativity told through a variety of sources, including writings in English, Latin, and Spanish. This aria uses the poetry of Rosario Castellanos to depict the Annunciation.

What the aria showcases: This aria features a lot of recitativo singing and declamation, so comfort with recitation in Spanish is essential. The beginning half sits in the lower end of the mezzo range, and the tessitura of the song gets higher over time. Due to Adam's minimalist approach to composition, this aria is extremely long and has a very slow build to its exciting end. A possible excerpt could go from the 5:50 minute mark of the video until the very end of the aria.

It can be difficult to find the perfect modern aria for a lower female voice, especially since several composers from this era tend to favor high, light soprano voices. However, the available repertoire for mezzos is incredibly beautiful and is not limited to the selections above! Feel free to explore these arias and composers and use this list as a starting point for finding completely different repertoire!