During the Classical period, two styles of opera were popular: opera seria and opera buffa. The old tragic opera, opera seria, contained stories about ancient Greek and Roman heroes and gods. It was sung to an elaborate script that included a large number of interwoven arias (songs) and ensembles. This is what we today would call a "ariatic" work. Tragic operas such as these were common from the 16th century until the mid-18th century. Tragedy was becoming obsolete as a form of entertainment. Italian audiences wanted something new so composers turned to other genres for inspiration. Opera buffa is an English term used to describe comic operas that first became popular in Italy during the 17th century. These are lively works with plenty of humoresque (short comic scenes) and chiacchiere (light musical pieces). The main characters often sing several arias. There are also duets, trios, quartettes, and ensembles. Opera buffa lasted longer than its serious sister genre and is still being written today. However, most modern operas have a mix of both buffa and seria elements. In conclusion, tragedy was replaced by comedy and satire. Music became the main event instead of spoken words.