Opéra comique

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This article is about the opera style. For the Paris opera house, see Opéra-Comique. For the London opera house associated with the premieres of several Gilbert and Sullivan comic operas, see Opera Comique.

Opéra comique (plural, opéra comiques) is a French genre of opera that contains spoken dialogue. It emerged out of the popular vaudevilles of the Fair Theatres of St Germain and St Laurent (and to a lesser extent the Comédie-Italienne). The name first appeared in reference to Télémaque by A R Lesage (1715), but the tradition lasted well into the 20th century.

Associated with the Paris theatre of the same name, it is, despite its name, not necessarily comic or light in nature. It is sometimes confused with 18th-century French version of the Italian opera buffa which is called opéra bouffon (different again from the 19th century opéra bouffe).

Opera Genres
Ballad opera • Dramma giocoso • Género chico • Grand Opera • Opéra-ballet • Opera buffa • Opéra bouffe • Opéra bouffon • Opéra comique • Opéra féerie • Opera semiseria • Opera seria • Operetta • Pastorale héroïque • Savoy opera • Semi-opera • Singspiel • Tragédie en musique • Verismo • Zarzuela