Romantic Arias for Classical Guitar is a collection of the world’s most beloved songs from the world of opera.  

An aria is a song performed during an opera that listeners are the most familiar with. These “pop songs of opera" provide an entry point for those unfamiliar with the opera repertoire, considered by many as the most expressive genre of western music. For those who are familiar with the world of opera, you will recognize the selections here as the arias most beloved by millions of listeners around the world.

This project, a labor of love by master guitarist Steve Eckels, contains the most famous melodies by composers Verdi and Puccini including the great operas La Traviata, Madame Butterfly, La Bohème, Turandot, Nabucco, Tosca, and Rigoletto. Also included are Massenet’s Meditation, Delibes’ Flower Duet, Offenbach’s Barcarolle, Bizet’s Habanera and others. The pieces have been arranged for recreational or concert guitarists, and have been meticulously fingered and engraved for ease of learning. The author has also provided music reading warm-ups to assist in learning the pieces. Eckels’ performances of all the arrangements on YouTube will provide an aid in familiarizing yourself with the most beloved songs ever written. 

Includes access to online audio.