In theater and music history, a burletta (

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

, meaning "little joke", sometimes burla or burlettina) is a brief comic

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...

. In eighteenth-century Italy, a burletta was the comic

intermezzo In music, an intermezzo (, , plural form: intermezzi), in the most general sense, is a composition which fits between other musical or dramatic entities, such as acts of a play or movements of a larger musical work. In music history, the term ha ...

between the acts of an '' opera seria''. The extended work Pergolesi's ''

La serva padrona ''La serva padrona'', or ''The Maid Turned Mistress'', is a 1733 intermezzo by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (1710–1736) to a libretto by Gennaro Federico, after the play by Jacopo Angello Nelli. It is some 40 minutes long, in two parts without o ...

'' was also designated a "burletta" at its

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

premiere in 1758. In England, the term began to be used, in contrast to burlesque, for works that satirized opera but did not employ musical parody. Burlettas in

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

began to appear in the 1760s, the earliest identified as such being ''

Midas Midas (; grc-gre, Μίδας) was the name of a king in Phrygia with whom several myths became associated, as well as two later members of the Phrygian royal house. The most famous King Midas is popularly remembered in Greek mythology for his ...

'' by

Kane O'Hara Kane O'Hara (1711 or 1712 – 17 June 1782) was an Irish composer and playwright. Biography O'Hara was born at Templehouse, Connaught, Ireland, the second son of Kean O'Hara, high-sheriff of County Sligo. He graduated from Trinity College, Dubli ...

, first performed privately in 1760 near

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...

, and produced at Covent Garden in 1764. The form became debased when the term ''burletta'' began to be used for English comic or

ballad opera The ballad opera is a genre of English stage entertainment that originated in the early 18th century, and continued to develop over the following century and later. Like the earlier '' comédie en vaudeville'' and the later ''Singspiel'', its dist ...

s, as a way of evading the

monopoly A monopoly (from Greek el, μόνος, mónos, single, alone, label=none and el, πωλεῖν, pōleîn, to sell, label=none), as described by Irving Fisher, is a market with the "absence of competition", creating a situation where a speci ...

on "legitimate drama" in London belonging to Covent Garden and Drury Lane. After the passage of the Theatres Act of 1843, which repealed crucial regulations of the Licensing Act of 1737, use of the term declined.

List of theatrical Burlettas

* ''

'' by

(Belfast, 1760, Dublin, 1762) * ''Orpheus'' by

François-Hippolyte Barthélémon François Hippolyte Barthélemon (27 July 1741 – 20 July 1808) was a French violinist, pedagogue, and composer active in England. Biography François Barthélemon was born in Bordeaux (Gironde), France. He received his education in Paris, where ...

(London, 1767) * ''The Judgement of Paris'' by Barthélémon (London, 1768) * ''

The Recruiting Serjeant ''The Recruiting Serjeant'' is a burletta by composer Charles Dibdin and playwright Isaac Bickerstaff. It premièred on 20 July 1770 at Ranelagh Gardens, London. Roles Synopsis A recruiting sergeant comes to a village seeking out new recr ...

'' by

Charles Dibdin Charles Dibdin (before 4 March 1745 – 25 July 1814) was an English composer, musician, dramatist, novelist, singer and actor. With over 600 songs to his name, for many of which he wrote both the lyrics and the music and performed them himself, ...

(London, 1770) * ''The Portrait'' by Samuel Arnold (1770) * ''The Portrait'' by Barthélémon (Dublin, c. 1771) * ''

L'infedeltà delusa ''L'infedeltà delusa'' (''Deceit Outwitted''), Hob. 28/5, is an operatic ''burletta per musica'' in two acts by Joseph Haydn. The Italian libretto was by Marco Coltellini. Performance history The earliest recorded performance, which may have ...

'' by Joseph Haydn (1773) * ''The Golden Pippin'' by John Abraham Fisher (1773) * ''Poor Vulcan'' by Dibdin (1778) * ''Marie Tanner'', words by Broughton Black and Poland Henry, music by

John Ivimey John William Ivimey (12 September 1868 – 16 April 1961) was an English organist and composer who specialized in comic operas. He also worked as director of music in schools and churches. Ivimey was awarded the degree of Doctor of Music by the ...

(produced at Cardiff, 1897) * '' Tom and Jerry, or Life in London'' by W. T. Moncrieff (1821)

Other Meanings

The word ''burletta'' has also been used for

scherzo A scherzo (, , ; plural scherzos or scherzi), in western classical music, is a short composition – sometimes a movement from a larger work such as a symphony or a sonata. The precise definition has varied over the years, but scherzo often re ...

-like instrumental music by composers including Max Reger and Bartók. In America, the word has sometimes been used as an alternative for burlesque.

References

;Notes ;Sources * * {{Opera genres Opera genres Italian opera terminology Comedy genres 19th-century theatre