bouffe
Noun: 1. A type of comic opera: "Bouffe" refers specifically to a light, comic opera characterized by a happy ending and a mixture of singing and spoken dialogue. It is a genre of musical theater.
The word "bouffe" is a specialized term used primarily in discussions of opera and musical theater history. It describes a specific, often lighthearted, operatic form. * It functions as a countable noun (e.g., a bouffe, several bouffes). * It is often used attributively as a modifier (e.g., bouffe opera, opera bouffe).
- The company decided to stage a classic bouffe to attract a broader audience.
- Jacques Offenbach is famous for his opera bouffe works, such as .
- Unlike grand opera, a bouffe typically features satirical plots and spoken dialogue.
- Opera bouffe: This is the most common collocation, directly from the French term . It is used interchangeably with the standalone noun "bouffe" to specify the operatic genre.
- The festival's program includes one grand opera and one opera bouffe.
- Operetta: (noun) A short, light opera, often with spoken dialogue. This is a very close synonym and a more commonly used term in English for a similar form of light musical theater.
- Comic opera: (noun phrase) A general term for any opera with a humorous plot and a happy ending, encompassing both (Italian) and (French).
- Operetta
- Light opera
- Comic opera
The word "bouffe" in English is almost exclusively used in this specific musical/theatrical context. It should not be confused with the unrelated French word bouffe meaning "food" or "grub" (informal), which is not standard in English usage.
- opera with a happy ending and in which some of the text is spoken