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

PLURAL

opera buffas, operas buffa

PLURAL

opere buffe

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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Etymology

Origin of opera buffa

Borrowed into English from Italian around 1795–1805

Example Sentences

This obscure and hilariously outrageous takeoff on the genre of Italian opera buffa, written in 1846, turned out to be the hit of the weekend.

From Los Angeles Times

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

From Los Angeles Times

The casual misogyny of Strauss’s only opera buffa — a work that unfolds like a love letter to Mozart, Rossini and Donizetti — was hardly a point of controversy when it premiered in Dresden in 1935.

From New York Times

It turns out that this isn’t really tragedy or farce, grand opera or opera buffa: it’s corporate promotion.

From New York Times

They turn courtroom trials into opera buffa, at least until the victim is shackled and pushed out the door to a prison cell.

From Salon