opera buffa

American  

[op-er-uh boo-fuh, op-ruh, aw-pe-rah boof-fah] / ˈɒp ər ə ˈbu fə, ˈɒp rə, ˈɔ pɛ rɑ ˈbuf fɑ /

noun

opera buffas, plural operas buffa, plural opere buffe plural

1. an Italian farcical comic opera originating in the 18th century and containing recitativo secco, patter songs, and ensemble finales.

2. the operatic genre comprising such works.

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opera buffa British  

/ ˈbuːfə, ˈopera ˈbuffa /

noun

1. comic opera, esp that originating in Italy during the 18th century

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• opera buffas
  plural
• operas buffa
  plural
• opere buffe
  plural

Etymology

Origin of opera buffa

Borrowed into English from Italian around 1795–1805

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

opera buffa

Felice Romani’s libretto also has an unusual—rather meta—construction: It includes a poet who is trying to write an opera buffa and narrates the events, a nod to Mozart’s “Così fan tutte.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

A comic opera ends with a wedding, and our opera buffa is no exception.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 17, 2023

“It’s a polystylistic opera,” he added, referring to the score’s combination of tropes from severe opera seria and jovial opera buffa, added to orchestrations that recall religious music.

From New York Times ● Jul. 22, 2021

It has more in common with Mozart’s opera buffa than with “Days of Our Lives.”

From Washington Post ● Jul. 16, 2015

The same year Rossini brought out at Bologna L'Equivoco Stravagante, an opera buffa in two acts.

From The Great Musicians: Rossini and His School by Edwards, Henry Sutherland