Chapter 13:
Other Classical
Genres
Opera Buffa
Key Terms
Opera buffa
Ensemble
Duet
Opera Buffa
Comic opera now equaled serious opera in
importance
• Peasants & soldiers replaced emperors &
courtiers
• Comic basses replaced heroic castrati
Flexible Classical style perfectly suited to
casual, swift, lifelike effects of comedy
Italian opera buffa was popular throughout
Europe
• It influenced growth of French, German, &
English comic operas
Seria vs. Buffa (1)
Story from ancient
history or mythology
Featured ancient
heroes & nobility
Used recitatives &
arias
Often in 3-4 acts
• Long operas
Pacing was slow,
drawn out
Serious, tragic
Contemporary
subjects used
Ordinary middle- &
lower-class folk
Used ensembles,
recitatives, & arias
Often in 2-3 acts
• Shorter operas
Quicker, livelier,
more lifelike
Light, comic
Seria vs. Buffa (2)
At its best—
Gripping, profound
drama
Powerful emotional
expression
Timelessness of
myth
At its worst—
Far-fetched plots
Exaggerated emotion
No continuity
At its best—
Fast-paced, nonstop
entertainment
Pointed social
commentary
Realistic story &
characters
At its worst—
Trivial plots & music
Comic situations not
believable
The Ensemble (1)
Ensemble = a fully musical number sung
by two or more soloists
Serious opera alternated between—
• Recitative – for dialogue and action
• Aria – for meditation on one emotion; singer
steps out of the action to reflect
Ensembles can depict dialogue, action, &
emotions simultaneously
• Can depict emotions of two or more characters
at the same time – & their changing reactions!
The Ensemble (2)
Ensembles often in several sections
• Each with different tempos, keys, & themes
• Contrasts allowed greater expressive range
Aria was static; ensemble was dynamic
• Opera seria da capo aria ended where it started
• Comic ensemble moved the drama & music
ahead several notches
Ensemble’s continuous forward
momentum transformed opera buffa
• Opera became a much more dramatic genre
Mozart, Don Giovanni
One of Mozart’s greatest opera’s
Written for Prague in 1787
Technically an opera buffa, but—
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Also an example of dramma giocoso
Neither wholly comic nor wholly tragic
Enigmatic mixture of both – a “dark comedy”
Mixture happens musically, dramatically, &
character by character
Characters
Serious roles
• Donna Anna & Don Ottavio, a noble couple
• The Commandant, Donna Anna’s father
Comic roles
• Leporello, Don Giovanni’s servant
• Zerlina & Masetto, a peasant couple
Mixed roles (both serious & comic)
• Don Giovanni (Italian for Don Juan), the
legendary Spanish libertine
• Donna Elvira, a noblewoman loved & left by
Don Giovanni
Plot (1)
Don Giovanni’s bawdy escapades belong
to opera buffa
More serious is his compulsive pursuit
• He promises women anything, but leaves when
he gets his way (Donna Elvira)
• He kills the father of a victim (Donna Anna)
• He attempts to seduce a peasant (Zerlina) as
she celebrates her betrothal to Masetto
• He blasphemes God & the dead (Commandant)
• He defies rules of society, morality, & God,
even when it means his doom
Plot (2)
In the graveyard the Commandant’s statue
reproaches Giovanni for his blasphemy
• Don Giovanni invites the statue to dinner
As Don Giovanni dines, the statue arrives
• Giovanni refuses to mend his ways
• The statue drags him down to hell
We sympathize both with his punishment
and with his verve & bravery
We also feel ambivalent about the others
• The other characters both amuse & move us
Act I, scene iii
(Note aristocrat vs. peasant distinctions)
Scene begins with a chorus of peasants
• They celebrate the betrothal of Masetto &
Zerlina
Don Giovanni arrives with Leporello
• He decides to seduce Zerlina
• He asks Leporello to keep Masetto occupied
Masetto immediately senses trouble
• He confronts Don Giovanni
• Don Giovanni threatens him with his sword
Mozart, “Ho capito” (1)
Mozart uses this aria to define Masetto’s
character
• Short, repeated phrases & frequent strong
cadences depict his simple yet direct nature &
his sputtering anger
Mozart, “Ho capito” (2)
But this aria is not static - we see Masetto
interacting with several characters
• He is nearly insolent in telling Don Giovanni
what an unjust bully he is
• He is abrupt in putting off Leporello
• In his jealousy he becomes progressively more
furious & sarcastic with Zerlina
Mozart, “Alfin siam liberati”
Secco recitative with continuo only
Dialogue between Don Giovanni & Zerlina
With Masetto out of the way, Don Giovanni
begins his seduction
• She worries about betraying her promise to
marry Masetto
• Giovanni tells her she was not meant to be a
peasant & flatters her for her beauty
• She fears Giovanni’s intentions are not good
• He promises to marry her immediately
Mozart, “Là ci darem la mano”
(1)
Ensemble for Don Giovanni & Zerlina
One of Mozart’s best known tunes
• Simple & direct – apt for wooing a peasant
Mozart, “Là ci darem la mano”
(2)
Don Giovanni becomes ever more
impassioned & persuasive
Zerlina’s resistance gradually breaks down
Dialogue alternates more & more rapidly
• Final section in rhythmic unison & quicker
• Depicts their agreement & eagerness