opera buffa
What opera buffa means in Music A-Level, as defined for AQA.
Definitions of opera buffa
Exam boards and our study guides word this term in slightly different ways. Learn the version your board uses.
Check what you remember
Read the wording for your board, then hide it and explain opera buffa in your own words. Rough notes are fine. This is a self-check, with no mark or grade.
Reference: AQA
A genre of classical opera, of which Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro K.492 is a cornerstone.
Comic opera that uses sung recitative, often secco, for dialogue.
Topics that use opera buffa
- Area of study 1: Western classical tradition 1650–1910 (compulsory) (AQA A-Level)
- Area of study 1: Western classical tradition 1650–1910 (compulsory) - Strand B: The operas of Mozart (AQA A-Level)
Related terms
- Basso continuo
- Characterisation through melody
- Characterisation through music
- Classical harmonic language
- Classical orchestration techniques
- Dance forms in opera
- Development of the piano as a solo instrument
- Dramatic pacing
Using opera buffa in the exam
Check the command word and mark scheme for your exact question. After comparing your explanation with the reference, use the term in an answer on the linked topic. This practice does not predict an exam mark.
Practise Music questions
Create a free account to answer exam-style questions on this topic and get feedback on your answers.
A week of Premium from your first lesson · Then the free plan continues · No card, no charge