List of opera genres

The Paris foire St Germain, c. 1763, after the fire of 1762

Nicolet's theatre at the foire St Laurent, c. 1786

In the early 18th century, the Théâtre de la foire in Paris – a collective name for the theatres at the annual fairs at St Germain, St Laurent (see illustration above) and later, St Ovide – offered performances with both music and spoken dialogue. First called comédie en vaudeville, these developed into the opéra comique. The Théâtre de la foire appeared in London in the 1720s, to be imitated in the form of the English ballad opera, which in turn stimulated the creation of the German Singspiel.

This is an inclusive glossary list of opera genres, giving alternative names.

"Opera" is an Italian word (short for "opera in musica"), however it was not commonly used in Italy (or indeed in other countries) to refer to the genre of particular works. Most composers used more precise designations to present their work to the public. Often specific genres of opera were commissioned by theatres or patrons (in which case the form of the work might deviate more or less from the genre norm, depending on the inclination of the composer). Opera genres are not exclusive. Some operas are regarded as belonging to several.

Opera genres have been defined in different ways, not always in terms of stylistic rules. Some, like opera seria, refer to traditions identified by later historians, while others, like Zeitoper, have been defined by their own inventors. Other forms have been associated with a particular theatre, for example opéra comique at the theatre of the same name, or opéra bouffe at the Théâtre des Bouffes Parisiens.

This list does not include terms that are vague and merely descriptive, such as 'comic opera', 'sacred opera', 'tragic opera' or 'one-act opera' etc. Original language terms are given to avoid the ambiguities that would be caused by English translations.

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