Everything about Oratorio totally explained
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 they're sometimes staged as operas. There is little or no interaction between the characters, no props or elaborate
costumes. The most important difference is their subject matter. Opera tends to deal with
history and
mythology, including age-old devices of
romance,
deception, and
murder. There are many exceptions, including Saint Saens' opera,
Samson et Dalila, Schoenberg's
Moses and Aaron and others. Additionally, there are operas that deal with religious movements such as Meyerbeers
Les Huguenots. The plot of an oratorio is often minimal and deals strictly with
sacred subjects, making this form of
entertainment acceptable and 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 option of musica during that period for opera buffs.
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 the
creation of the world, 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 become 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.
History
In the
17th century, composers made numerous attempts to create a religious
opera to satisfy both public tastes and
church restrictions. In particular, cardinals, who represented a large class of wealthy potential patrons in
Rome, were not supposed to attend opera performances.
Emilio de' Cavalieri is known for the boldest undertaking with
Rappresentatione di Anima, et di Corpo, but this work wasn't successful. Meanwhile, religious communities were creating more elaborate musical programs for gatherings and prayer meetings. Some of the halls where they met were known as "oratories", notably the
Oratory of Santissimo Crocifisso in Rome, so the art form came to be known as the oratorio. The peak period for composition of oratorios is the 17th and 18th centuries.
By the mid-17th century, two types had developed:
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's 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
(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, Jephta (1752)
Joseph Haydn, The Creation (1798)
Joseph Haydn, The Seasons (1801)
Felix Mendelssohn, St. Paul (1836)
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) (External Link
)
Paul McCartney, Liverpool Oratorio (1991)
Wynton Marsalis "Blood on the Fields" (1997)
Vangelis Papathanasiou, Mythodea (2001)
Piotr Rubik - "Tu Es Petrus" (2005)
Hristo Tsanoff - "Stabat Mater dolorosa" (2007)(External Link)Further Information
Get more info on 'Oratorio'.
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