Ten short pieces directed by ten different directors, including Ken Russell, Jean-Luc Godard, Robert Altman, Bruce Beresford, and Nicolas Roeg. Each short uses an aria as soundtrack/sound (Vivaldi, Bach, Wagner), and is an interpretation of the particular aria.

Federico Fellini was attached to this project in the very beginning. He worked with Don Boyd the producer in Rome and only dropped out because he was ill - he was making his much delayed Intervista. Like everybody else who saw Aria, he loved various sections of the movie, particularly Roddam's and Temple's sections.

Music by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Leontyne Price, Carlo Bergonzi, Robert Merrill, Shirley Verrett,
Reri Grist with RAC Italiana Opera Orchestra and Chorus
Conducted by Erich Leinsdorf
segment "Un Ballo in Maschera"
(extracts - "Prelude", "Re dell' abisso", "Di che fulgor che musiche", "la rivedra nell'estasi",
"Ebben si t'amo", "Mezza notte" and "O giustizia del fato")