Meaning of Dramma Giocoso in Music
Dramma giocoso is an Italian term that translates to "drama with jokes" in English. It is a genre of opera that was common in the mid-18th century. The term refers to a type of opera that combines serious and comedic elements. It is characterized by a blend of serious and comic situations, often including supernatural elements and farce.
Dramma giocoso can be seen as a hybridized subset of opera buffa, which is a comic style of opera that focuses on everyday people in contemporary settings dealing with everyday struggles. While opera buffa typically consists of two acts, dramma giocoso can have multiple acts.
Notable examples of dramma giocoso include Mozart's operas Don Giovanni and Così fan tutte, as well as Rossini's La Cenerentola. It is worth noting that Mozart classified Don Giovanni and Così fan tutte as opera buffa instead of dramma giocoso, despite their classification as such by others.
Overall, dramma giocoso is a genre of opera that combines serious and comedic elements, creating a unique and entertaining theatrical experience.
A kind of comic opera originating c. 1750, with sentimental or pathetic plots bordering on tragedy rather than the traditional lighthearted comic plots.
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