Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Ariose \Ar"i*ose\, a. [It. arioso, fr. aria.]
   Characterized by melody, as distinguished from harmony.

         Mendelssohn wants the ariose beauty of Handel; vocal
         melody is not his forte; the interest of his airs is
         harmonic.                                --Foreign
                                                  Quart. Rev.

Source : WordNet®

ariose
     adj : having a melody (as distinguished from recitative) [syn: {songlike}]