oratorio

A musical composition for voices and orchestra, telling a sacred story without costumes, scenery, or dramatic action.

[Italian, after Oratorio, the Oratory of Saint Philip Neri at Rome, where famous musical services were held in the 16th century.]

An extended musical setting of a sacred, usually non-liturgical, text. Except for a greater emphasis on the chorus throughout much of its history, the forms and styles of oratorio tend to approximate to those of opera in any given period, but the normal manner of performance is without scenery, costumes or action.

Oratorio originated in the informal meetings, or ‘spiritual exercises’, of the Congregazione dell′ Oratorio in Rome, founded in the 1550s by St Filippo Neri. The name comes from the oratory or prayer hall in which the meetings were held. Music, particularly laude, helped attract people and membership spread to other cities. Important in introducing the new monodic style was the performance at the Chiesa Nuova in Rome of Cavalieri's sacred opera, Rappresentatione di Anima, et di Corpo (1600). But the most important type of oratory music during the next 50 years was sacred dialogue of the kind in Anerio's Teatro armonico (1619).

By the mid-17th century two types had developed. The oratorio volgare, in Italian, is represented by Carissimi's Daniele, Marazzoli's S Tomaso and similar works attributed to Foggia and Luigi Rossi. Lasting some 30-60 minutes, they were performed in two sections, separated by a sermon; their music resembles that of contemporary operas and chamber cantatas. The oratorio latino, in Latin, was first developed at the Oratorio del Ss Crocifisso, related to the church of S Marcello in Rome; the most significant composer is Carissimi, whose Jephte may be considered the first masterpiece of the genre. Like most other Latin oratorios of the period, it is in one section only.

By the 1660s oratorio was established, and until c 1720 it flourished in oratories and secular surroundings. Handel's La resurrezione (1708) was given at the Ruspoli residence in Rome, and oratorios by A. Scarlatti, Caldara and many others were given in similar locations. Other centres were Bologna, Modena, Florence and Venice; composers include F. Gasparini, Vivaldi and many leading opera composers. Their oratorios are mostly in two sections, lasting c 90-120 minutes, with librettos based mainly on the Bible, hagiography and moral allegory. Musical style is akin to that of the opera, with few choruses and many da capo arias.

Outside Italy, the Italian oratorio was primarily a Lenten substitute for opera at the Roman Catholic courts of central Europe, notably Vienna, where oratorios were performed in a chapel during services. A related genre was the one-section sepolcro, in which the Passion story was narrated in a chapel, at Easter, with scenery, costumes and action. The leading composer of oratorios and sepolcri at Vienna was Antonio Draghi; another was Caldara, who set oratorio texts by the court poets, Zeno and Metastasio.

Only in the early 18th century was a clearly defined genre of ‘Oratorium’, with German text, accepted in German concert life and Lutheran services. One root was the historia, exemplified by Schütz's settings of the Christmas, Passion and Easter narrations. From the mid-17th century composers began including music with non-biblical texts; this resulted in the ‘oratorio Passion’, a genre that culminated in the Passions of Bach. Other antecedents of German oratorio were the sacred dramatic dialogue, which sometimes served as a Lutheran motet, and the oratorio-like works performed as Abendmusik in Lübeck under Buxtehude.

Hamburg was the chief centre for the early 18th-century German oratorio in spite of opposition to Keiser's setting of Hunold's Der blutige und sterbende Jesus (1704). A direct successor was Brockes's Passion oratorio, set by Handel, Keiser, Telemann, Mattheson and others. Such composers made more prominent a use of the chorus than did Italian composers and also introduced chorales. The works Bach called ‘Oratorium’ stand outside the true oratorio tradition.

Although it had an antecedent in the sacred dialogue, English oratorio was essentially Handel's creation - a synthesis of elements from the English masque and anthem, French classical drama, Italian opera seria and oratorio volgare, and the German Protestant oratorio. For Handel ‘oratorio’ normally meant a three-act dramatic work on a biblical subject, with prominent use of the chorus, performed as a concert in a theatre. It originated, almost by accident, when in 1732 Handel's intention of presenting a revised stage version of his earlier Esther was thwarted by the Bishop of London's ban. Its success in a concert version prompted Handel to compose two more in 1733, and his other English oratorios followed in 1738-52. Of these, Messiah (1742) is the best known, though as a setting of a purely biblical, non-dramatic text it is not representative of Handelian oratorio. Few Englishmen attempted to emulate Handel's mastery of oratorio, though there are examples by Greene, Arne and Stanley.

Charpentier, who studied with Carissimi in Rome, appears to have been the first French composer of oratorios; he preferred the terms ‘historia’, ‘canticum’, ‘dialogue’ or ‘motet’ for oratorio-like works apparently performed as extended motets during festive masses, at church concerts and at private Lenten gatherings. The chorus is of special importance as narrator, crowd and commentator. Few oratorios were composed in France during the 50 years following Charpentier's death in 1704.

In Italy and Vienna, oratorio volgare predominated in the late 18th century, with the emphasis on solo singing. The Dresden court played an important role in cultivating the pre-Classical and Classical oratorio. The Lutheran oratorio continued to function liturgically, as a substitute for the cantata, and in public concerts at Hamburg (under Telemann and C.P.E. Bach), Berlin (where Graun's Der Tod Jesu was performed almost annually) and Lübeck. The music of Haydn's late oratorios, The Creation and The Seasons, reflects his experience of Handelian oratorio in London.

After 1800 fewer major composers devoted their main energies to oratorio, but the genre continued to occupy a central place, especially in England and Germany, with the emphasis on massive performances at music festivals. The oratorios of Spohr and Mendelssohn took their place beside Handel's and Haydn's in the repertory of large choral societies, but after Mendelssohn the musical history of oratorio becomes more and more an account of individual masterpieces, among which Berlioz's L′enfance du Christ (1854), Liszt's Christus (1853-66), Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius (1900), Schoenberg's Die Jakobsleiter (1917-22), Honegger's Le roi David (1923) and Walton's Belshazzar's Feast (1931) are particularly significant. Stravinsky's ‘opera-oratorio’ Oedipus rex (1926-7) is the most successful of modern attempts to apply certain characteristics of the oratorio to secular ends.

For more information on oratorio, visit Britannica.com.

A musical composition for voices and orchestra, telling a religious story.

An operatic work without staging, sets, or elaborate costumes. Usually performed in amore relaxed setting than a formal opera, and usually having a religious theme.

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An oratorio is a large musical composition including an orchestra, a choir, and soloists. The oratorio was somewhat modeled after the opera. Their similarities include the use of a choir, soloists, an ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias. However, opera is musical theatre, while oratorio is strictly a concert piece -- though oratorios are sometimes staged as operas, and operas are sometimes presented in concert form. In an oratorio there is generally little or no interaction between the characters, and no props or elaborate costumes. A particularly important difference is in the typical subject matter of the text. Opera tends to deal with history and mythology, including age-old devices of romance, deception, and murder, whereas the plot of an oratorio often deals with sacred topics, making it appropriate for performance in the church. Protestant composers took their stories from the Bible, while Catholic composers looked to the lives of saints. Oratorios became extremely popular in early 17th century Italy partly because of the success of the opera and the Church's prohibition of spectacles during Lent. Oratorios became the main choice of music during that period for opera audiences.

During the second half of the 17th century, there were trends toward the secularization of the religious oratorio. Evidence of this lies in its regular performance outside church halls in courts and public theaters. Whether religious or secular, the theme of an oratorio is meant to be weighty. It could include such topics as Creation, the life of Jesus, or the career of a classical hero or biblical prophet. Other changes eventually took place as well, possibly because most composers of oratorios were also popular composers of operas. They began to publish the librettos of their oratorios as they did for their operas. Strong emphasis was soon placed on arias while the use of the choir diminished. Female singers became regularly employed, and replaced the male narrator with the use of recitatives. Eventually, Monteverdi composed Il Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda which is considered to be the first secular oratorio.

George Frideric Handel, most famous today for his Messiah, also wrote secular oratorios based on themes from Greek and Roman mythology. He is also credited with writing the first English language oratorio.

Contents 1 Origins in Italy 2 Structure 3 List of notable oratorios 4 See also 5 References 6 External links

Origins in Italy

The origins of the oratorio can be found in sacred dialogues in Italy. These were settings of Biblical, Latin texts and musically were quite similar to motets. There was a strong narrative, dramatic emphasis and there were conversational exchanges between characters in the work. G.Fanerio’s “teatro harmonico spirituale” is a set of 14 dialogues, the longest of which is 20 minutes long and covers the conversion of St. Paul and is for four soloists : Historicus(narator), tenor; St. Paul, tenor; Voice from Heaven, bass; and ananias, tenor. There is also a four part chorus to represent any crowds in the drama. The music is often contrapuntal and madrigal-like. Philip Neri’s Congregazione dell'Oratorio featured the singing of spiritual laude. These became more and more popular and were eventually performed in specially built oratories (prayer halls) by professional musicians. Again, these were chiefly based on dramatic and narrative elements. Sacred opera provided another impetus for dialogues, and they greatly expanded in length (although never really beyond 60 minutes long). Cavalieri’s Rappresentatione di Anima e di Corpo is an example of one of these works, but technically it is not an oratorio because it features acting and dancing. It does, however contain music in the monodic style. The first oratorio to be called by that name is Pietro della Valle’s “Oratorio della Purificazione” , but due to its brevity (only 12mins long) and the fact that its other name was “dialogue”, we can see that there was much ambiguity in these names.

By the mid-17th century, two types had developed:

• oratorio volgare (in Italian) - representative examples include:
  • Giacomo Carissimi's Daniele
  • Marco Marazzoli's S Tomaso
  • similar works written by Francesco Foggia and Luigi Rossi

Lasting about 30-60 minutes, oratorio volgares were performed in two sections, separated by a sermon; their music resembles that of contemporary operas and chamber cantatas.

• oratorio latino (in Latin) - first developed at the Oratorio del SS. Crocifisso, related to the church of San Marcello al Corso in Rome;

The most significant composer of oratorio latino is Giacomo Carissimi, whose Jephte is regarded as the first masterpiece of the genre. Like most other Latin oratorios of the period, it is in one section only.

Structure

Oratorios usually contain:

• An overture, for instruments alone
• Various arias, sung by the vocal soloists
• Recitative, usually employed to advance the plot
• Choruses, often monumental and meant to convey a sense of glory. Frequently the instruments for oratorio choruses include timpani and trumpets.

List of notable oratorios

	Oratorio chorus performing "Hallelujah" An oratorio chorus performing "Hallelujah", recorded in 1916.
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(ordered chronologically by year of premiere)

• Antonio Vivaldi, Juditha triumphans RV 644 (1716)
• Johann Sebastian Bach, the Christmas Oratorio (1734)
• Johann Adolph Hasse Serpentes ignei in deserto - (1735, 1736 or 1739)
• George Frideric Handel, Esther (1732)
• George Frideric Handel, Deborah (1733)
• George Frideric Handel, Saul (1739)
• George Frideric Handel, Israel in Egypt (1739)
• George Frideric Handel, Messiah (1741).
• George Frideric Handel, Samson (1743)
• George Frideric Handel, Judas Maccabaeus (1747)
• George Frideric Handel, Joshua (1748)
• George Frideric Handel, Jephtha (1752)
• Joseph Haydn, The Creation (1798)
• Joseph Haydn, The Seasons (1801)
• Ludwig van Beethoven, Christ on the Mount of Olives (1803)
• Felix Mendelssohn, St. Paul (1836)
• Robert Schumann, Paradise and the Peri (1843)
• Felix Mendelssohn, Elijah (1846)
• Hector Berlioz, L'enfance du Christ (1854)
• Franz Liszt, Christus (1862–1866)
• Théodore Dubois, Les sept paroles du Christ (1867)
• Igor Stravinsky's "opera-oratorio" Oedipus Rex (1927)
• Artur Kapp, Hiiob (Job) (1929)
• William Walton, Belshazzar's Feast (1931)
• Alexandre Tansman, Isaïe le prophète (1950)
• Hans Werner Henze, Das Floß der Medusa (1968, rev. 1990)
• Bertold Hummel, The Shrine of the Martyrs (1988/89) [1]
• Paul McCartney, Liverpool Oratorio (1991)
• Wynton Marsalis "Blood on the Fields" (1997)
• Vangelis Papathanasiou, Mythodea (2001)
• Piotr Rubik - "Tu Es Petrus" (2005)
• Ilaiyaraaja, India - Thiruvasakam (2005)
• Lowell Liebermann, A Whitman Oratorio Op.104 (2008)

See also

• Passion
• Requiem
• Mass (liturgy)
• Mass (music)
• Cantata
• oratorio society

References

• Bukofzer, Manfred F. Music in the Baroque Era. New York, NY: W.W. Norton and Co., Inc, 1947.
• Smither, Howard. The History of the Oratorio. vol. 1-4, Chapel Hill, NC: Univ. of N.C. Press, 1977-2000.
• Deedy, John. The Catholic Fact Book. Chicago, IL: Thomas Moore Press, 1986.
• Grove Music Online, ed. L. Macy, grovemusic.com (subscription access).
• Hardon, John A. Modern Catholic Dictionary. Garden City, NY: Double Day and Co. Inc., 1980.
• New Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1967.
• Randel, Don. "Oratorio". The Harvard Dictionary of Music. Cambridge, MA: The Belknap Press, 1986.

External links

• "Musical Forms - Oratorio". The Grove Concise Dictionary of Music. The Classical Music Pages. http://w3.rz-berlin.mpg.de/cmp/g_oratorio.html. 

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - oratorium

Nederlands (Dutch)
oratorium

Français (French)
n. - oratorio

Deutsch (German)
n. - Oratorium

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (μουσ.) ορατόριο

Italiano (Italian)
oratorio

Português (Portuguese)
n. - oratório (m)

Русский (Russian)
оратория

Español (Spanish)
n. - oratorio

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - oratorium

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
宗教剧

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 宗教劇

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 오라토리오(성담곡)

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 聖譚曲, オラトリオ

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) الموشح الديني‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮יצירה לתזמורת ולמקהלה, בעיקר בנושא דתי, ללא תלבושת מיוחדת, אורטוריה‬

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