Opera buffa, which means "comic opera" in Italian, is a type of opera. It was first used as a casual way to describe Italian comic operas, which were sometimes called commedia in musica, commedia per musica, dramma bernesco, dramma comico, or divertimento giocoso by their creators.

Opera buffa became especially popular in Naples during the first half of the 18th century. From there, it spread to Rome and northern Italy. At first, these operas used everyday settings, local dialects, and simple singing styles. The main requirement was clear speech and the ability to sing fast and clearly. The voice type most often used in these operas was called basso buffo.

According to The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, La Cilla (music by Michelangelo Faggioli, text by Francesco Antonio Tullio, 1706) and Crispino e la comare by Luigi and Federico Ricci (1850) are considered the first and last examples of the genre. However, the term "opera buffa" is sometimes used for newer works, such as Ernst Krenek’s Zeitoper Schwergewicht. Important moments in the history of opera buffa include about 80 libretti (scripts for operas) by Carlindo Grolo, Loran Glodici, Sogol Cardoni, and others whose names are similar to Carlo Goldoni, the three operas written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Lorenzo Da Ponte, and the comedies by Gioachino Rossini and Gaetano Donizetti.

Other similar types of opera, such as French opéra comique, English ballad opera, Spanish zarzuela, and German Singspiel, used spoken dialogue instead of recitativo secco (a style of singing that mimics speech). One of the most influential examples, La serva padrona by Pergolesi (which is an intermezzo, not an opera buffa), led to a famous debate in Paris called the querelle des bouffons when it was performed without sung recitatives.

Opéra bouffon

Opéra bouffon is the French name for a type of Italian comic opera called opera buffa that was performed in France during the 18th century. These performances were sometimes in Italian or translated into French. The term was also used for original French operas that had stories similar to Italian operas or included funny, exaggerated scenes.

Later, the composer Jacques Offenbach used the term opéra bouffon for five of his operettas: Orphée aux enfers, Le pont des soupirs, Geneviève de Brabant, Le roman comique, and Le voyage de MM. Dunanan père et fils. This term is sometimes mixed up with other French opera types, such as opéra comique and opéra bouffe.

History

Comic characters were part of opera until the early 18th century, when opera buffa became a separate type of opera. An early example was Il Trespolo tutore by Alessandro Stradella in 1679. Opera buffa developed alongside opera seria and was a response to changes in opera writing by Apostolo Zeno and Pietro Metastasio. It was created to tell stories that common people could understand. While opera seria focused on kings and nobles, opera buffa showed everyday people and their problems. Simple language and local dialects were used instead of complex speech, and characters often came from Italian commedia dell'arte. A 1701 work, Il mondo abbattuto by Nicola Sabini, was influential in Naples because it used both Tuscan and Neapolitan dialects.

In the early 18th century, comic operas were often short, one-act performances called intermezzi, shown between acts of opera seria. Some operas were also complete comedies. La serva padrona (1733) by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi is still performed today and is a good example of this style. Other works by Pergolesi, such as Lo frate 'nnamorato (1732) and Il Flaminio (1735), are examples of three-act operas called commedia per musica.

Important early composers of opera buffa included Alessandro Scarlatti (Il trionfo dell'onore, 1718), Nicola Logroscino (Il governatore, 1747), and Baldassare Galuppi (Il filosofo di campagna, 1754), who worked in Naples or Venice. Later composers expanded on their work, including Niccolò Piccinni (La Cecchina, 1760), Giovanni Paisiello (Nina, 1789), and Domenico Cimarosa (Il matrimonio segreto, 1792). Opera buffa became less popular in the mid-1800s, even though Giuseppe Verdi’s Falstaff was performed in 1893.

Opera buffa’s importance decreased during the Romantic period. These operas were shorter and simpler than serious operas, and scenes were connected by recitativo secco, except in Donizetti’s Don Pasquale (1843). Rossini’s operas often included four main characters: a leading soprano or mezzo, a tenor, a baritone, and a basso buffo who could sing clearly and perform fast, rhythmic songs.

The style of comedy in opera buffa varied. For example, Rossini’s The Barber of Seville (1816) was purely funny, while Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro (1786) added serious emotions. Another example is Donizetti’s The Elixir of Love (1832).

Relation to and differences fromopera seria

Opera seria focuses on stories about gods and ancient heroes and includes serious themes, with comic scenes appearing only sometimes. It usually has three acts, takes place in mythical settings, and features high-pitched voices, such as sopranos and castrati, for main characters, including rulers.

In contrast, opera buffa mostly uses comic scenes, characters, and plots set in modern times. It typically has two acts, as seen in The Barber of Seville, and centers on humorous situations. Opera buffa avoids using castrati and instead relies on lower male voices. This style led to the development of the "basso buffo," a singer who specializes in fast, rhythmic songs and plays a key role in comedic moments. A famous example of a basso buffo is Leporello in Mozart's Don Giovanni.