Opera Seria versus Opera Buffa

From the grand gestures of gods and ancient heroes in Opera Seria to the comical meanderings of Opera Buffa. These two genres occurred at a time of great change both in music and European society as a whole. Take one minute to Get the Scoop!

Fun Fact
Opera Buffa was inspired by intermezzi, which were comic intermissions appearing in between acts of Opera Seria, in order to break up the tension. This gave way to full-fledged operas in the new comic style of Opera Buffa.

About Steven
Steven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.

A Note To Music Students et al.
All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.

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Transcript

Around 1700, a new style of music called opera seria came on the scene. AKA "serious opera” it was concerned with order, dignity and tragedy.

No more herds of singers tromping off and on stage. These operas focused on an ensemble cast, each receiving a precise number of arias crafted in the strict da capo formula, giving them time to shine. 

Opera seria dealt with gods and ancient heroes—lofty stuff. Composers included Handel, Vivaldi, and Scarlatti.

Then came The Age of Enlightenment, which gave way to the great revolution of the individual. Down with the ruling aristocracy, all hail to the middle classes—who, needed a good laugh.

Enter Opera Buffa or comic opera. This style presented comic scenes, characters, and plot lines in a contemporary setting. 

From Rossini's The Barber of Seville to Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro, opera buffa spread across Europe like wildfire. It eventually declined with the advent of the Romantic period.