a school of composition that originated in Italian opera towards the end of the 19th century, drawing its themes from real life and emphasizing naturalistic elements. Its chief exponent was Puccini
Word origin
C19: from Italian; see verism
verismo in American English
(veɪˈʀizmɔ)
Italian
noun
1.
verism
2.
a style of opera dealing with the lives of common people and usually characterized by violent or tragic situations and highly dramatic performance