Key Terms
Definition
Italian comic opera. Buffo = Italian for "buffoon."
Purpose
Presents contrasting emotions simultaneously; maintains comic pacing while sustaining musical interest; combines the dra
Why it was needed
Comic opera plots require fast, complicated action and rapid-fire dialogue. The alternating recitative-aria-recitative f
Connection to sonata form
The development of operatic ensemble coincides with the development of sonata form. Both innovations allow composers to
Their hypothesis
The characters in ancient Greek plays sang their lines rather than spoke them. Singing heightens words and makes them mo
First surviving opera
Euridice, composed by Jacopo Peri in 1600.
Impact
Anyone with money for a ticket could attend. Composers now had to appeal to a paying public audience, not just a single
Librettist
Lorenzo da Ponte (1749-1838) — collaborated with Mozart on three masterpieces of Italian opera buffa:
Libretto source
Based on a play of the same name written in 1778 by French author Beaumarchais. The play dealt with contemporary issues
Demonstrates
The recitative-to-aria transition in practice — dialogue and setup in recitative, emotional reflection in the aria.