Entrance aria (sortita)
A character’s first aria on entering in an opera, especially the prima donna’s.
What it means
The sortita (Italian for “entrance,” “exit”) is a character’s entrance aria in opera, that is, the first aria sung after appearing on stage. The term is used especially for the prima donna’s entrance.
The sortita introduces the character and is meant to make her character, voice, and standing in the work immediately clear.
Musical use
Above all in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Italian opera, great value was placed on the sortita, since the singer’s first impression on the audience could be decisive. It was often a place for virtuosity and striking vocal display.
In the nineteenth century the entrance aria often falls into the forms of a cavatina followed by a fast cabaletta. The exact designation and structure vary with period and composer.
The sortita should be distinguished from the aria in the general sense, which can stand anywhere in the work, and from recitative, which advances the action rather than introducing the character.
Performance practice
Use the sortita to draw the character convincingly at once: set clear vocal and dramatic accents and shape the entrance deliberately. Take care not to exhaust yourself for the rest of the role.