Subject matter:
- Comic opera: These operas typically featured lighthearted, humorous, and often satirical storylines. The plots were often based on everyday situations, love affairs, mistaken identities, and social critiques, offering a lighter and more accessible narrative to the audience.
- Opera seria: On the other hand, opera seria dealt with serious, heroic, and often mythological or historical subjects. The stories often involved conflicts between gods, goddesses, heroes, and rulers. Tragedy, sacrifice, and noble emotions were central themes in opera seria.
Musical style:
- Comic opera: Characterized by a lively, upbeat musical style, comic operas incorporated folk tunes, dance rhythms, and popular melodies. It often featured shorter arias, spoken dialogue, and ensemble numbers.
- Opera seria: In contrast, opera seria employed a more formal musical style, with complex vocal lines and elaborate orchestration. It featured extended arias that showcased the virtuosic abilities of the singers and required exceptional technical skill.
Characters:
- Comic opera: Comic operas often included ordinary characters from various social strata, such as maids, servants, peasants, and merchants, who were presented in humorous situations. The characters engaged in witty dialogue, comedic misunderstandings, and physical humor.
- Opera seria: Opera seria featured larger-than-life characters, often representing gods, mythological heroes, kings, and queens. The characters were portrayed in a majestic, heroic manner, and their actions and conflicts had grand, often universal implications.
Audience appeal:
- Comic opera: Comic operas aimed to entertain a wide audience with their relatable stories, humorous elements, and engaging music. They gained popularity among a broader spectrum of society, providing a form of musical theater accessible to both upper-class and general public.
- Opera seria: Initially patronized by aristocratic audiences, opera seria primarily appealed to the upper echelons of society who appreciated its grandeur, classical subject matter, and highly technical music.
In summary, comic opera and opera seria represented distinct styles of 18th-century opera, catering to different audiences and offering contrasting narratives and musical experiences. Comic opera provided entertaining, lighthearted content with characters and settings from ordinary life, while opera seria focused on serious, heroic themes with larger-than-life characters and technically demanding music.