Burletta
Encyclopedia
A burletta also sometimes burla or burlettina, is a music
al term generally denoting a brief comic Italian (or, later, English) opera
. The term was used in the 18th century to denote the comic intermezzo
s between the acts of an opera seria
, but was sometimes given to more extended works; Pergolesi
's La serva padrona was designated a 'burletta' at its London
premiere in 1750.
In England the term began to be used, in contrast to burlesque
, for works that satirized opera but without using musical parody. Burlettas in English
began to appear in the 1760s, the earliest identified being Midas
by Kane O'Hara
, first performed privately in 1760 near Belfast
, 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
s, as a way of evading the monopoly
on opera in London belonging to Covent Garden and Drury Lane
. After repeal of the 1737 Licensing Act
in 1843, use of the term declined.
The word 'burletta' has also been used for scherzo
-like instrumental music by composers including Max Reger
and Bartók. In America, the word has sometimes been used as an alternative for burlesque
.
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
al term generally denoting a brief comic Italian (or, later, English) opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
. The term was used in the 18th century to denote the comic intermezzo
Intermezzo
In music, an intermezzo , 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...
s between the acts of an opera seria
Opera seria
Opera seria is an Italian musical term which refers to the noble and "serious" style of Italian opera that predominated in Europe from the 1710s to c. 1770...
, but was sometimes given to more extended works; Pergolesi
Giovanni Battista Pergolesi
Giovanni Battista Pergolesi was an Italian composer, violinist and organist.-Biography:Born at Iesi, Pergolesi studied music there under a local musician, Francesco Santini, before going to Naples in 1725, where he studied under Gaetano Greco and Francesco Feo among others...
's La serva padrona was designated a 'burletta' at its London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
premiere in 1750.
In England the term began to be used, in contrast to burlesque
Burlesque
Burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects...
, for works that satirized opera but without using musical parody. Burlettas in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
began to appear in the 1760s, the earliest identified being Midas
Midas (burletta)
Midas is a burletta, or 'mock opera', by Kane O'Hara.Originally performed privately in 1760 near Lurgan, Ireland, it was revised and expanded with the encouragement of Lord Mornington, and was presented in its new form in Dublin in 1762 and at Covent Garden Theatre, London in 1764...
by Kane O'Hara
Kane O'Hara
Kane O'Hara was an Irish playwright and musician.The son of a squire from Sligo, O'Hara studied at Trinity College, Dublin. In 1757 he was a founder member of the Dublin Academy of Music.His first publicly performed play was a burletta, Midas...
, first performed privately in 1760 near Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, 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
Ballad opera
The term ballad opera is used to refer to a genre of English stage entertainment originating in the 18th century and continuing to develop in the following century and later. There are many types of ballad opera...
s, as a way of evading the monopoly
Monopoly
A monopoly exists when a specific person or enterprise is the only supplier of a particular commodity...
on opera in London belonging to Covent Garden and Drury Lane
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane is a West End theatre in Covent Garden, in the City of Westminster, a borough of London. The building faces Catherine Street and backs onto Drury Lane. The building standing today is the most recent in a line of four theatres at the same location dating back to 1663,...
. After repeal of the 1737 Licensing Act
Licensing Act 1737
The Licensing Act or Theatrical Licensing Act of 21 June 1737 was a landmark act of censorship of the British stage and one of the most determining factors in the development of Augustan drama...
in 1843, use of the term declined.
The word 'burletta' has also been used for scherzo
Scherzo
A scherzo is a piece of music, often a movement from a larger piece such as a symphony or a sonata. The scherzo's precise definition has varied over the years, but it often refers to a movement which replaces the minuet as the third movement in a four-movement work, such as a symphony, sonata, or...
-like instrumental music by composers including Max Reger
Max Reger
Johann Baptist Joseph Maximilian Reger was a German composer, conductor, pianist, organist, and academic teacher.-Life:...
and Bartók. In America, the word has sometimes been used as an alternative for burlesque
Burlesque
Burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects...
.
List of burlettas
- MidasMidas (burletta)Midas is a burletta, or 'mock opera', by Kane O'Hara.Originally performed privately in 1760 near Lurgan, Ireland, it was revised and expanded with the encouragement of Lord Mornington, and was presented in its new form in Dublin in 1762 and at Covent Garden Theatre, London in 1764...
by Kane O'HaraKane O'HaraKane O'Hara was an Irish playwright and musician.The son of a squire from Sligo, O'Hara studied at Trinity College, Dublin. In 1757 he was a founder member of the Dublin Academy of Music.His first publicly performed play was a burletta, Midas...
(privately near Belfast, 1760, Dublin, 1762) - Orpheus by François-Hippolyte BarthélémonFrançois-Hippolyte BarthélémonFrançois Hippolyte Barthélemon was a French violinist, pedagogue, and composer active in England.-Biography:François Barthélemon was born in Bordeaux , France. He received his education in Paris, where he studied musical composition and violin, and performed in the orchestra of the Comédie-Italienne...
(London, 1767) - The judgement of Paris by Barthélémon (London, 1768)
- The Recruiting SerjeantThe Recruiting SerjeantThe 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:...
by Charles DibdinCharles DibdinCharles Dibdin was a British musician, dramatist, novelist, actor and songwriter. The son of a parish clerk, he was born in Southampton on or before 4 March 1745, and was the youngest of a family of 18....
(London, 1770) - The Portrait by Samuel ArnoldSamuel Arnold (composer)Samuel Arnold was an English composer and organist.Arnold was born in London , and began writing music for the theatre in about 1764. A few years later he became director of music at the Marylebone Gardens, for which much of his popular music was written...
(1770) - The Portrait by Barthélémon (Dublin, c. 1771)
- The Golden Pippin by John Abraham Fisher (1773)
- Poor Vulcan by Dibdin (1778)
Sources
- Warrack, John and West, Ewan (1992), The Oxford Dictionary of Opera, Oxford ISBN 0-19-869164-5