What is the difference between lyric opera and "regular" opera?

Question:

What is the difference between lyric opera and "regular" opera?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: a lot of opera societies were formed to serve local needs, in places where the big companies either didn't tour to, or where there weren't many facilities.
they called themselves lyric to emphasize the smaller, genteeler cast to their repertory. You wouldn't find any of the big Italian or German works on their programs, just the lighter ones. Often, operettas.
I would imagine that the financial aspect played a great role as well. If you are counting on community support to pay for costumes and scenery, you won't have much to buy in big singers or much of an orchestra ( in numbers only).
I guess the name has stuck, although there are places that don't fit that scheme any more ( like Chicago?)
A regular opera company will go for anything it can afford? Source(s):
opera singer Opera is a form of musical and dramatic work in which singers convey the drama

Lyrical: expressive of deep emotion, of personal nature

I assume you put them together and get a dramatic work of expressive deep emotion. I agree with lynndransoap. Lyric opera houses have smaller budgets and productions, such as SF Lyric Opera and LA Lyric Opera. One exception is the Chicago Lyric Opera which is now one of the best opera houses in the country. "Lyric opera" and "regular opera" aren't two seperate catagories. There are a number of companies that use the term "lyric" in their names, and they include both large repertory companies such as Lyric Opera of Chicago and Lyric Opera of Kansas City, as well as smaller, specialty companies such as Lyric Opera of Los Angeles. But all of them perform "regular opera". Perhaps at one time such a designation was used to contrast with the term "grand opera", but that distinction doesn't seem to have much currency today, as Lyric Opera of Chicago certainly performs "grand opera".