The reform of Italian opera in the 18th century was largely inspired by French theater, and Molière's work resonated on opera stages. Composed of three singing characters and a fourth silent one, accompanied by a light orchestra, The Miser is an Intermezzo (the most famous example of which remains Pergolesi's La serva padrona, the protagonist of the famous War of the Buffoons in 1752). Salvi, the librettist, who had already drawn inspiration from Molière's plays (The Bourgeois Gentleman in L'Artigiano Gentiluomo and The Imaginary Invalid in Il Malato Immaginario), achieved the remarkable feat of remaining faithful to the spirit of Molière's comedy without losing its comic force, even though the work was reduced from five to three acts and entirely sung.