oratorio
noun
ˌär-\
Definition of oratorio
: a lengthy choral work usually of a religious nature consisting chiefly of recitatives, arias, and choruses without action or scenery
Examples of oratorio in a Sentence
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Considering Matthew Shepard Composer-pianist Craig Hella Johnson and vocal ensemble Conspirare perform Johnson’s oratorio that remembers the young gay student who was murdered in Wyoming in 1988. — Matt Cooper, latimes.com, "The week ahead in SoCal classical music: Partch, Pacific Symphony and more," 9 June 2018 Within this small boy, so modest in his manner, there were symphonies unwritten, suites and concertos and oratorios. — Cynthia Ozick, New York Times, "One Last Book From a Virtuoso of the Short Story," 14 May 2018 Schumann created a nuanced new genre unfit for generic pigeonholes that includes aspects of opera, oratorio, chamber music and song. — Mark Swed, latimes.com, "'Das Paradies': A giant globular tear as ticket to heaven," 4 June 2018 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. 2018These 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.
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More Definitions for oratorio
oratorio
noun
English Language Learners Definition of oratorio
: a large piece of music for a group of singers and musicians that is usually about a religious subject
See the full definition for oratorio in the English Language Learners Dictionary
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