[op-er-uh boo-fuh, op-ruh; It. aw-pe-rah boof-fah] 
[aw-pe-re boof-fe] . | 1. | an Italian farcical comic opera originating in the 18th century and containing recitativo secco, patter songs, and ensemble finales. |
| 2. | the operatic genre comprising such works. |
| o·pe·ra buf·fa (ŏp'ər-ə bōō'fə, ŏp'rə, ō'pě-rä bōōf'fä) n. An Italian comic opera of the 18th century. [Italian : opera, opera + buffa, feminine of buffo, comic.] |
opera buffa
genre of comic opera originating in Naples in the mid-18th century. It developed from the intermezzi, or interludes, performed between the acts of serious operas. Opera buffa plots centre on two groups of characters: a comic group of male and female personages and a pair (or more) of lovers. The dialogue is sung. The operatic finale, a long, formally organized conclusion to an opera act, including all principal personages, developed in opera buffa. The earliest opera buffa still regularly performed is Giovanni Battista Pergolesi's La serva padrona (1733; The Maid as Mistress). Opera buffa is distinct from French opera-bouffe, a general term for any light opera.
Learn more about opera buffa with a free trial on Britannica.com.