Oratorium

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A large musical composition for choir, soloists, and orchestra, typically with a religious or narrative theme performed without staging or costumes
2. An extended dramatic work combining vocal and instrumental music to tell a sacred or secular story, usually presented in concert form
3. A concert piece involving chorus, solo singing, and orchestra to convey a serious or spiritual tale without theatrical acting

Etymology: The English word comes from the Italian "oratorio," which takes its name from the Oratory of St Philip Neri in Rome, a devotional society founded in the 1550s. The Oratory held informal prayer meetings in a chapel, and from the early 1600s, Roman sacred musical dramas performed there were called "oratorios" after the place where they were staged. Stories were drawn from the Bible or saints' lives, and the performances were meant to be devotional rather than theatrical, which is why they were sung without costumes or scenery. The word "oratorio" arrived in English in the 18th century, and it was George Frideric Handel who made it central to the form. Works such as "Messiah" (1742) and "Samson" (1743) were performed in concert halls rather than churches, and the setting is still how most English-speakers encounter the form today.

Synonyms: oratory, speech, oration, discourse, sermon