grand opera

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French grand opéra.

Noun

grand opera (plural grand operas)

  1. A genre of 19th-century opera characterized by large-scale casts and orchestras, and lavish and spectacular design and stage effects, normally with plots based on or around dramatic historic events.
    • 1949 September 4, H. R. Trevor-Roper, “Hitler Reappraised, Ten Years After”, in The New York Times‎, ISSN 0362-4331:
      Clearly, Hitler saw his historical function as a Wagnerian grand opera. Vast cosmic changes required an accompaniment of slaughter on a colossal scale.

Further reading
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