What is a ballad opera?

A ballad opera is a type of musical drama that originated in England in the 18th century. It is characterized by its use of spoken dialogue interspersed with songs set to popular tunes of the day, often folk songs or opera arias. Ballad operas typically satirized contemporary social and political events and were often performed in theaters aimed at working-class audiences.

One of the most famous ballad operas is John Gay's "The Beggar's Opera," which was first performed in 1728 and satirized the corruption and greed of the upper classes. Other well-known ballad operas include Charles Coffey's "The Devil to Pay" (1731) and Henry Fielding's "The Grub-Street Opera" (1731).

Ballad operas declined in popularity in the early 19th century but were revived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, most notably by Gilbert and Sullivan in their series of comic operettas. Today, ballad operas are no longer as common as they once were, but they continue to be performed occasionally.