opera buffa

noun

opera buf·​fa -ˈbü-fə How to pronounce opera buffa (audio)
: an 18th century farcical comic opera with dialogue in recitative

Examples of opera buffa in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web This opera buffa even has a catchphrase. Joshua Robinson, WSJ, 10 July 2021 Rossini wrote an opera buffa, an essentially frivolous piece with a whole lot of gorgeous music. Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 8 Feb. 2023 Mozart’s 1790 opera buffa about two men whose scheme to test their fiancées’ fidelity ends in surprise. San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 June 2021 That scenario, one part soap opera and one part opera buffa . . . Kevin D. Williamson, National Review, 7 Mar. 2021 Leading an orchestra with considerably more strings than Mozart was accustomed to, Zander gave admirable clarity to the opera buffa fugue sections and propulsion to the whole. BostonGlobe.com, 19 Oct. 2019 The credited adaptation source for Love Wedding Repeat might be a minor French comedy from 2012 called Plan de table, but the model for this strained opera buffa is two Brit hits from the 1990s: Sliding Doors and Four Weddings and a Funeral. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Apr. 2020 The production directed by Michael Shell takes its inspiration from the films of Pedro Almodovar and plays up the colorful, carnival-like atmosphere of Rossini’s opera buffa. 7:30 p.m. April 28, May 2 and May 4 and 2 p.m. May 6. Patrick Neas, kansascity, 20 Apr. 2018 Italian elections, frequent and feuding, are often dismissed as opera buffa offerings from a country that never changes. Jason Horowitz, New York Times, 29 Jan. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'opera buffa.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Italian, literally, comic opera

First Known Use

1770, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of opera buffa was in 1770

Dictionary Entries Near opera buffa

Cite this Entry

“Opera buffa.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/opera%20buffa. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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