Opera Buffa Research Paper

In the 18th century, Opera evolved and could be split into two major types: Opera Buffa and Opera Seria.

In the early 18th century, short one-act interludes called ‘intermezzi’ were performed between acts during an Opera Seria. The intermezzi were so popular, composers began developing them, and by the later 18th century, it became it’s own genre known as Opera Buffa.

Opera Buffa, also known as Comic Opera, was a full-length work that was sung throughout. It was a genre that was enjoyable for all, as it included staging, singing and comedy. The comedy comes from the clash of lower class and upper class characters, making the storyline attractive and relatable to common people as well. Opera Buffa was originally meant for middle class audience
Opera Seria, or Serious Opera, are written on serious subject matters, and provided no comical relief, and no comical characters. Opera Seria plots were on serious topics, and often were about gods and ancient heroes. Typically, Opera Seria consists of three acts, while Opera Buffa usually consisted of two acts. The recitatives used in an Opera Seria were typically secco, but in a serious mood. A similarity between Opera Seria and Opera Buffa was that Opera Seria arias are strophic, and in A-B-A form (da cappo aria), and were performed in gallant style.

A good example of an Opera Seria would be Christoph Willibald Gluck’s “Orfeo Ed Euridice”. This work was written in 1762, and is based on the myth of Orpheus in the underworld. To have an opera plot set to a myth, with passion, love, and gods, were typical of the Opera Seria. In this work, the orchestra is a lot bigger, compared to Pergolessi’s orchestra used in “La Serva Padrona”, and plays passionately and dramatically, in a dark tone, portraying the underworld. “Orfeo Ed Euridice” has three acts, typical of the Opera Seria. There is no humor and comical relief in this