# 'Light Opera' vs 'Comic Opera'



## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

What is the difference between an 'opera' and a 'light opera'?

It presumably isn't that a light opera is often comic, like Gilbert & Sullivan - is it? - because I presume that a comic opera like 'The Marriage of Figaro' is a 'proper opera'.

Is it that the music of a 'light opera' is unworthy? But who decides that?

When I was at university in the 1970s, my friends were in the Durham University Light Opera Group (DULOG) and I often went to see productions. It was almost always G & S, but two Offenbachs I also saw: Orpheus in the Underworld, and Madame Favart. The latter was the first production that had been put on in Britain for Donkey's Years (since Victorian times?) and a new libretto had been put to it by members of the French Department. I can't remember a thing about it except that it was hugely entertaining.

In my search for education on this forum, I would much appreciate the views of you 'opera buffs' on what makes the difference between 'opera' (which you get brownie points for liking) and 'light opera' (for which you get custard pies). Any replies much appreciated!


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## Mahlerian (Nov 27, 2012)

Light opera, also called operetta, was generally premiered and played in separate venues from either "comic opera" or "grand opera". Like the German singspiel, light opera uses spoken dialogue in place of recitative. The style of music is generally more popularly-oriented.

In addition to G&S and Offenbach, the Viennese Lehar penned at least one classic of the genre, The Merry Widow. It was a huge hit around the turn of the century, and was well-known enough to spawn a parody in Shostakovich's Symphony No. 7 (some say this was because of Hitler's predilection for the tune).

Not my forte, though, so I'll leave any further discussion to others.


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## Guest (Jun 25, 2013)

I've always confused 'light' and 'comic', and have played both in blissful ignorance of the finer points of their differentiation, if any there be (and always happily accepted the tainted dollars, in any case). I have to say that I much preferred playing the G&S to the rather awful Merry Widow. I'm not averse to a bit of _*Zarzuela*_ either, when I'm back in town, so to speak.


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## deggial (Jan 20, 2013)

Ingenue said:


> Is it that the music of a 'light opera' is unworthy? But who decides that?


it's just sillier.


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## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

Ingenue said:


> What is the difference between an 'opera' and a 'light opera'?
> 
> It presumably isn't that a light opera is often comic, like Gilbert & Sullivan - is it? - because I presume that a comic opera like 'The Marriage of Figaro' is a 'proper opera'.
> 
> ...


No,no, it's the scenery ---it's easier to shift in a light opera don't you know.


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## Cavaradossi (Aug 2, 2012)

I think, technically yes, it's the use of the spoken dialogue that distinguishes light opera/operetta from opera (comic or tragic).

Of course the French term for a work containing dialogue only confuses the issue further:



> Opéra comique (plural: opéras comiques) is a genre of French opera that contains spoken dialogue and arias. It emerged out of the popular opéra comiques en vaudevilles of the Fair Theatres of St Germain and St Laurent (and to a lesser extent the Comédie-Italienne),[1] which combined existing popular tunes with spoken sections. Associated with the Paris theatre of the same name, the Opéra-Comique, opéra comique is not always comic or light in nature; Carmen, perhaps the most famous opéra comique, is a tragedy


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Op%C3%A9ra_comique

Note that when they refer to Carmen as an _opéra comique_, they are talking about Bizet's original version that did contain dialogue, not the later revisions most often performed now that are all recitative. (Got it?)

I have a feeling there is also a difference in vocal technique/heft, as you see opera companies putting on the the occasional operetta, but not the other way around. A few years ago our main opera company here put on a Mikado here with Wagnerians James Morris as the Mikado and Stephanie Blythe as Katisha .


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## deggial (Jan 20, 2013)

^ just to make it a little clearer :lol:


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## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

Light opera:






Comic opera:


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## LouisMasterMusic (Aug 28, 2013)

A light opera is something like "Die Fledermaus" (what I personally call operetta) and a comic opera is something like "The Magic Flute" or "The Barber Of Seville". Although the former is quite grandiose, Papageno provides the light relief.


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