A short middle section of a musical composition usually offered between the acts of a longer operatic work. These were light-hearted in nature, with very small casts: La serva padrona by Pergolesi is an example. The term can also refer to an instrumental interlude between acts of operas, such as the Intermezzo in Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana and the Intermezzo in Massenet’s Thaïs.