The Classical Voice

The Classical Voice

Apple Music Classical

Updated 1 week ago

Though classical music tends to be distinguished by symphonic instruments, some of its most beautiful pieces rely solely on the human voice's expressive power. This playlist showcases that range and potential, encompassing everything from Renaissance song to Romantic lieder, opera, and oratorio. And remember: We regularly update these pieces, so if you hear something you like, add it to your library.

Di quella pira (Live at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, 1995)

Leone Magiera, Corale Gioachino Rossini, Luciano Pavarotti, BBC Philharmonic

2:12

Somewhere Over the Rainbow (Arr. by Dan Heathcote)

The Chapel Choir of Pembroke College, Cambridge, Anna Lapwood

4:01

No. 7, Because I could not stop for Death

Time for Three, Joyce DiDonato

3:04

Che farò senza Euridice? (Arr. Pluhar)

Rolando Villazón, Christina Pluhar, L'Arpeggiata

4:09

I. Fire Prelude

Christopher Tin, Dylan Tyree, Kantorei, Alicia Rigsby, Nicholas Recuber, Remy Le Boeuf, David Short

2:21

Je crois bien et je le promets

Véronique Gens, Hervé Niquet, Chœur et Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire

5:11

VI. Praised Be the Lord

Daniel Collins, Hugo Hymas, Matthew Long, William Gaunt, Jonathan Cohen, Samuel Boden, Hilary Cronin, Arcangelo

1:16

Scène 3, Chœur. Viens dans ce séjour paisible

Les Arts Florissants, Paul Agnew

1:51

II. Aria. Con piede errante e lasso

Philippe Jaroussky, Ensemble Artaserse

5:16

Lao Rahal Soti (Arr. for Voice & Choir by Shireen Abu-Khader)

Lily Sveinbjornsson, Ethan Sperry, The Portland State University Chamber Choir

3:52

"Il faut nous séparer" (Charlotte, Werther)

Matthew Polenzani, Isabel Leonard, Robert Spano, Houston Grand Opera

2:07

II. Cujus animam gementem

London Mozart Players, Rupert Gough, The Choir of Royal Holloway

2:30

No. 1, Im wunderschönen Monat Mai

Jonas Kaufmann, Helmut Deutsch

1:30

Defend her, Heav’n! (2025 Remastered Version)

Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, Harry Bicket, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment

5:42

Sus ojos se cerraron (Arr. Pluhar)

L'Arpeggiata, Rolando Villazón, Christina Pluhar

4:22

Nuit d’Espagne

Florian Caroubi, Adèle Charvet

3:19

II. Larghetto. Ah ch'infelice sempre

Philippe Jaroussky, Ensemble Artaserse

5:28

Torna la pace al core

Marseille Philharmonic Orchestra, Clelia Cafiero, Nathan Granner

6:02

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

Eric Whitacre, VOCES8

5:22

Lascia ch'io pianga

Samuel Mariño, Covent Garden Sinfonia, Ben Palmer

4:21

Chanson triste (Version for Voice & Orchestra)

Jean-François Verdier, Sandrine Piau, Orchestre Victor Hugo

3:13

I. Sicut cervus

3:21

Nuit de décembre

Sonya Yoncheva, Olga Zado

3:01

Cavatine. "Ah ! Mes amis, quel jour de fête !" (Tonio)

Pierre Dumoussaud, Orchestre National de Lille, Cyrille Dubois

3:49

No. 10, Stille Tränen

Helmut Deutsch, Jonas Kaufmann

3:23

Sonetto. Proemio dell’opera

Les Kapsber'girls

5:45

I attempt from Love’s sickness

Helen Charlston, Sounds Baroque

1:50

"Mulata infeliz"

Lisette Oropesa

4:48

No. 1, Come Again! Sweet Love Doth Now Invite

Jess Dandy, Laurence Kilsby, Alex Rosén, Lea Desandre, Thomas Dunford, Jupiter Ensemble

4:22

Agnus Dei

New York Polyphony, LeStrange Viols

3:31

IV. 'Tis Nature's Voice

Brandon Acker, Reginald Mobley, Doug Balliett

3:58

V. Ihr habt nun Traurigkeit

Masaaki Suzuki, Bach Collegium Japan, Miku Yasukawa

6:05

No. 3, Trees

Hugh Cutting, Audrey Hyland

5:42

Scene 10, Aria. Torna la pace (Idomeneo)

Andrew Staples, Sir Simon Rattle, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra

5:55

I. Villanelle

Benjamin Bernheim, Carrie-Ann Matheson

2:03

"Me protegge, me difende" (Pollione, Chorus, Flavio)

Pier Giorgio Morandi, Transylvania State Philharmonic Choir, Eusebiu Hutan, Ștefan Pop

2:44

Te quiero, morena (Un Tenorio, Coro)

Coro Juvenil Sinfonía por el Perú, Orquesta Juvenil Sinfonía por el Perú, Juan Diego Flórez, Guillermo García Calvo

2:22

'A vucchella

Il Pomo d'Oro, Antonello Paliotti, Pene Pati, Giulio D'Alessio

3:22

Song to the Moon

Samuel Mariño, Covent Garden Sinfonia, Ben Palmer

5:51

No. 1, C'est l'extase langoureuse

Mitsuko Uchida, Magdalena Kožená

3:14

When I Am Laid in Earth

Thomas Dunford, Lea Desandre, Jupiter Ensemble

3:45

Osanna, Benedictus, Agnus Dei, Dona nobis pacem: No. 26, Agnus Dei

Lucile Richardot, Ensemble Pygmalion, Raphaël Pichon

5:31

Dopo notte, atra e funesta

Megan Kahts, Jeremy Joseph, Orchester Wiener Akademie

6:51

Third Door, the Treasury

Gábor Bretz, Karina Canellakis, Rinat Shaham, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra

2:25

I Know

Svanholm Singers, Sofia Soderberg

6:45

No. 3, Sonntag

Benjamin Appl, György Kurtág

1:59

III. And his parents

London Symphony Orchestra, Nicholas Phan, Joseph Young

7:00

Esti Dal (Arr. D'Angelo for Voice and Piano)

Emily D'Angelo, Sophia Muñoz

2:31

Locus iste, WAB 23 (Live)

Jonathan Sells, Monteverdi Choir

2:57

Ubi Caritas

3:50

I. Aria. Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen

Max Volbers, Marie-Sophie Pollak, Concerto Köln

4:16

No. 2, Harmonie du soir

Mitsuko Uchida, Magdalena Kožená

4:39

No. 2, Music for a While

Sounds Baroque, Helen Charlston

3:48

'O sole mio

Il Pomo d'Oro, Antonello Paliotti, Pene Pati, Giulio D'Alessio

4:19

No. 2, Des Kindes Schlaf

Benjamin Appl, James Baillieu

1:57

Night Prayer

The Gesualdo Six, Owain Park, Matilda Lloyd

3:29

Aria. Deh vieni, non tardar

Riccardo Minasi, Anna Prohaska, Ensemble Resonanz

2:51

Second Door, the Armoury

Gábor Bretz, Karina Canellakis, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Rinat Shaham

4:21

XI. Magnificat

Choir of Merton College, Oxford, Benjamin Nicholas, Britten Sinfonia

6:14

I. Selig sind, die da Leid tragen

Masaaki Suzuki, Bach Collegium Japan

9:55

No. 10, The Cares of Lovers

Helen Charlston, Sounds Baroque

2:12

Vissi d'arte

Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Ludovic Tézier, Daniel Harding, Eleonora Buratto

3:42

No. 6, Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt

Benjamin Appl, James Baillieu

3:13

O virga mediatrix (Arr. for Soprano, Pianos and Electronic by David Chalmin)

Barbara Hannigan, Katia Labèque, Marielle Labèque, David Chalmin

7:45

IV. Sume superbiam

Ekaterina Antonenko, Intrada Vocal Ensemble

5:44

Tristes apprêts

Teodor Currentzis, Utopia Orchestra, Jeanine De Bique

7:03

I’d roam the world over with you

Iain Burnside, Roderick Williams

3:54

IV. Absence

Benjamin Bernheim, Carrie-Ann Matheson

4:47

Summ und brumm, du gutes Rädchen "Spinning Chorus"

Anna Kissjudit, The Norwegian National Opera Orchestra, Edward Gardner, The Norwegian National Opera Chorus

3:31

Furusato (Arr. for Soprano, Tenor, and Piano by Bob Chilcott)

Julian Gregory, Libby Burgess, Grace Davidson

2:45

No. 3, Ronde

The King's Singers

1:48

Nacht und Träume, D. 827

Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha, Aron Goldin

3:52

Aria. Mi tradì quest"alma ingrata

Kammerakademie Potsdam, Golda Schultz, Antonello Manacorda

3:45

O dolci mani

Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Daniel Harding, Eleonora Buratto, Jonathan Tetelman

3:25

E lucevan le stelle

Jonathan Tetelman, Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Daniel Harding

4:06

No. 4, The sword of Erin

Harry Christophers, The Sixteen

2:05

Franchigia a Floria Tosca

Daniel Harding, Eleonora Buratto, Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Jonathan Tetelman

2:14

Go Crystal Tears (Version for Voice, Archlute and Mellotron)

John Dowland, Melankhôlia, Marina Viotti

3:38

Caro Mio Ben

Cecilia Bartoli, György Fischer

2:43

Rastlose Liebe, D. 138

Carolyn Sampson, Joseph Middleton

1:32

Exultate Deo

2:28

Johohoe! Traft ihr das Schiff im Meere an "Senta's Ballad"

The Norwegian National Opera Orchestra, Edward Gardner, The Norwegian National Opera Chorus, Lise Davidsen

6:21

Habanera. L'amour est un oiseau rebelle

Aigul Akhmetshina, Daniele Rustioni, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

4:20

Alleluia, freuet euch, ihr Christen alle

Vox Luminis, Raphael Höhn, Lionel Meunier, Sebastian Myrus, Christopher Fischer

5:01

Aria. Come scoglio

Riccardo Minasi, Anna Prohaska, Ensemble Resonanz

4:10

No. 7, Cor mio, deh, non piangete: Seconda parte

Collegium Vocale Gent, Philippe Herreweghe

2:07

No. 4, Ständchen

Malcolm Martineau, Fatma Said

3:45

E lucevan le stelle

Jonas Kaufmann, Orchestra del Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Asher Fisch

3:00

Hearken, all ye people

Magdalena Consort, William Hunt, Fretwork

4:11

No. 5, Because I liked you better

Malcolm Martineau, Robin Tritschler

2:53

No. 2, Ó byl to krásný zlatý sen (Orch. by Jiří Gemrot)

Sir Simon Rattle, Czech Philharmonic, Magdalena Kožená

2:45

Che farò senza Euridice (Orfeo)

Stefan Plewniak, Jakub Józef Orliński, Il Giardino D'Amore

4:17

III. Sanctus: No. 22, Sanctus. Pleni sunt cœli

Raphaël Pichon, Ensemble Pygmalion

5:10

Ange si pur (Fernand)

Pene Pati, Emmanuel Villaume, Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine

3:19

O mio babbino caro (Lauretta)

Philharmonia Orchestra, Tullio Serafin, Maria Callas

2:38

IX. Agnus Dei

The Brabant Ensemble, Stephen Rice

2:17

Non t'amo più (Transcr. for Tenor and Piano)

Sophia Muñoz, Jonathan Tetelman

5:05

Psalm 22.21

1:30

O Mio Babbino Caro

Ellen Williams

2:25

Alalt a ci (Arr. Schuen for Voice and Piano) [Musical Moments]

Andrè Schuen, Daniel Heide

3:33