Bravura aria
A virtuosic aria with extended coloratura passages.
What it means
A bravura aria is an operatic aria aimed at virtuosic vocal brilliance: fast runs, wide leaps, extended coloratura, and a broad range take center stage, often more prominently than the dramatic expression of the text.
The bravura aria flourished in eighteenth-century opera seria, where virtuosic castrato and soprano roles showcased singers' technical skill.
Musical use
Bravura arias often occur at prominent moments in the plot, such as the end of an act, giving the singer a spectacular exit. Well-known examples appear in works by Georg Frideric Handel and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, among others.
The bravura aria should be distinguished from the da capo aria as a formal type: many bravura arias are also da capo arias, but da capo aria describes the formal structure, while bravura aria refers to the virtuosic character.