In the late eighteenth century, comic opera grew to equal in importance the serious opera that was a hallmark of the Baroque era (see page 137). Roman emperors and their courtly confidants gave way to contemporary peasant girls and soldiers; castrati were edged aside by basses specializing in comical rants and exasperations, the so-called buffo basses (buffone is Italian for “buffoon”). Happy endings were the result of tricks and schemes rather than the decrees of magnanimous princes.

Comic opera stars had to be funny; they had to act, not just sing. The new flexibility of the Classical style was perfectly suited to the unexpected and swift effects that are the essence of comedy. As much as its humor, it was this “natural,” lifelike quality of comedy that appealed to audiences of the Enlightenment. Enlightened monarch Joseph II of Austria actively promoted comic opera.

Italian comic opera was the most important, though there were also parallel developments in Germany, France, and England. Serious Italian opera was called opera seria; comic Italian opera was called opera buffa. Just as Italian opera seria was very popular in London in Handel’s time, so was Italian opera buffa in Vienna at the time of Haydn and Mozart. Thus Haydn, whose court duties with the Esterházys included running their opera house, wrote twelve comic operas — all in Italian. Mozart in his mature years wrote six — three in German and three in Italian.