oratorio

noun or·a·to·rio \ ˌȯr-ə-ˈtȯr-ē-ˌō , ˌär- \

|Updated on: 7 Jun 2018

Definition of oratorio

plural oratorios

: a lengthy choral work usually of a religious nature consisting chiefly of recitatives, arias, and choruses without action or scenery

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Recent Examples of oratorio from the Web

This jazz-gospel version of Handel’s famed oratorio as rearranged by Bob Christianson and Gary Anderson has become a holiday favorite in the Detroit Opera House.

— david lyman, Detroit Free Press, "MOT's 2018-19 season includes 'Eugene Onegin,' 'Candide' and 'Grapes of Wrath'," 13 Apr. 2018
In Mulieribus vocal ensemble, three Portland State University choirs and some of the city’s finest classical singers will perform the oratorio during the Northwest Film Center’s screening of Dreyer’s film.

— OregonLive.com, "Joan of Arc's story gains a new dimension in film/concert pairing," 21 Jan. 2018
Music director Franz Welser-Most would conduct an abridged version of the oratorio, including all the parts with soprano solo and the big choruses.

— special to the plain dealer, cleveland.com, "Cleveland Orchestra pulls off a save after illness strikes singers in Haydn's 'The Seasons' (review)," 19 Jan. 2018
The politically pointed oratorio was dedicated to Ché Guevara, and a group of students ran a Communist red flag up on the stage.

— mark swed, latimes.com, "Four radical and radically original pieces of music that blew up the modernist status quo in 1968," 21 Apr. 2018
But in recent decades some jazz artists have won, with Wynton Marsalis being awarded for his Blood On The Fields classical oratorio in 1997.

— dan deluca, Philly.com, "Why Kendrick Lamar's Pulitzer Prize matters," 16 Apr. 2018
Media: Euronews The 35-minute oratorio combines the poignant plot with a cosmic concept of transformation.

— lawrence elizabeth knox, Houston Chronicle, "Houston Chamber Choir kindles a world of imagination," 11 Apr. 2018
Philly sounds, with subtitles What came out was a series of movements that music director Yannick Nézet-Séguin described as something between an oratorio, cantata, and opera, each with subtitles to give the listener bearings in time and place.

— david patrick stearns, Philly.com, "Philadelphia Orchestra's new oratorio wit' cheesesteaks was great fun at its Philly premiere," 6 Apr. 2018
Standing behind music stands on opposite sides of the podium, Kaufmann and Nylund sang their impassioned duet while facing the audience oratorio-style, and both of them relied heavily on their vocal scores.

— jeremy eichler, BostonGlobe.com, "The BSO offers Wagner’s ‘shivery and sweet infinity’," 6 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'oratorio.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of oratorio

Italian, from the Oratorio di San Filippo Neri (Oratory of St. Philip Neri) in Rome

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First Known Use: 1724

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ORATORIO Defined for English Language Learners

oratorio

noun

Definition of oratorio for English Language Learners

: a large piece of music for a group of singers and musicians that is usually about a religious subject

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