A
burletta (
Italian, meaning "little joke"), also sometimes
burla or
burlettina, is a
musical term generally denoting a brief comic Italian (or, later, English)
opera. The term was used in the 18th century to denote the comic
intermezzos between the acts of an
opera seria, but was sometimes given to more extended works;
Pergolesi's
La serva padrona was designated a 'burletta' at its
London premiere in 1750.