opera seria

[ op-er-uh seer-ee-uh, op-ruh; Italian aw-pe-rah se-ryah ]

noun

, plural o·pe·ra se·rias, o·pe·ras se·ria, Italian o·pe·re se·rie [aw, -pe-, r, e , se, -, r, ye].

1. Italian dramatic opera of the 18th century based typically on a classical subject and characterized by extensive use of the aria da capo and recitative.

opera seria

/ ˈopera ˈsɛːrja; ˈsɪərɪə /

noun

1. a type of opera current in 18th-century Italy based on a serious plot, esp a mythological tale

Word History and Origins

Origin of opera seria¹

1875–80; < Italian: literally, serious opera

Word History and Origins

Origin of opera seria¹

from Italian: serious opera

Example Sentences

My dating history featured a catalog of opera seria, each ending more tragic than the last.

From Los Angeles Times

My dating history featured a catalog of opera seria, each ending more tragic than the last.

From Los Angeles Times

Taken together, it’s a nearly 12-hour commitment, sure, but it’s a stationary hike that offers a panorama of wildly diverse music: David McVicar’s new production of Luigi Cherubini’s “Medea”; a lively revival of Mozart’s opera seria underdog “Idomeneo”; and a revival of the late Graham Vick’s madcap treatment of Shostakovich’s “Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk,” a staging I can only sum up as absolutely bonkers.

From Washington Post

Night two for me was Mozart’s 1781 opera seria “Idomeneo,” set on the island of Crete in the aftermath of the Trojan War.

From Washington Post

For Currentzis, the work’s female characters reflect different styles of female singer: Donna Anna, for example, seems to have arrived from an opera seria and Zerlina, a peasant girl, from an opera buffa.

From New York Times