What genre of music is typically written for solo voice, commonly setting a poem to music?

The genre of music that is typically written for a solo voice and commonly involves the setting of a poem to music is art song. Art songs are often characterized by their focus on the lyrical and expressive qualities of the text, allowing the composer to convey the emotional depth of the poetry through melody and harmony. This form often includes piano accompaniment and has roots in the Romantic era, when composers sought to create more personal and intimate musical expressions that resonate with the sentiments of the written word.

In contrast, opera involves dramatic storytelling that typically includes multiple voices and orchestration, focusing on theatrical performance rather than the intimate presentation of a single poem. A scherzo is a lively, often playful piece that is usually part of a larger work, such as a symphony or string quartet, rather than a standalone vocal piece. A symphony is an orchestral composition of several movements, designed for a large ensemble, which often does not focus on voice or poetry, but rather on instrumental music and thematic development.