oratorio

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

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

Haydn prepared both German and English versions but specifically wanted his oratorio performed in English for English-speaking audiences.

— john von rhein, chicagotribune.com, "A memorable 'Creation' from James Levine at Ravinia," 9 Aug. 2017
For more than a century, the performance of great oratorio has been defined in Cincinnati by a chorus that stands on risers and sings.

— janelle gelfand, Cincinnati.com, "Questions arise as May Festival sees a more visual future for chorus," 21 June 2017
The multistyled piece was anchored by a powerfully moving, beautifully sung oratorio.

— christopher arnott, courant.com, "Arts & Ideas: Still Time To See Unique Shows," 20 June 2017
Papa Haydn's masterful oratorio also happens to be one of the Chicago Symphony Chorus' signature pieces.

— chicago tribune, chicagotribune.com, "The sounds of summer — Tribune critics top 10 shows," 31 May 2017
The group gave the oratorio its Chicago premiere nearly 40 years ago and made one of its earliest recordings.

— alan artner, chicagotribune.com, "Music of the Baroque revisits Telemann's 'Judgment'," 16 May 2017
Founded in 1977, the group performs concerts ranging from the classics of opera, oratorio and the concert stage to American and European folk and spiritual music.

— valerie bonk, Howard County Times, "7 places to get your music fix in Howard County this spring," 3 May 2017
In contrast, Trinity’s Handel Project, a new multiyear survey of Handel’s oratorios, shapes up as a more improvisatory affair, to judge from its opening concert last Wednesday.

— james r. oestreich, New York Times, "After Five Years of Bach, Trinity Church Takes On Handel," 12 Mar. 2017
The choir, formerly known as the Collegiate Chorale, is thinking big for its seventy-fifth-anniversary season, with a concert of Bach’s mammoth oratorio, a musical rendering of the Passion of Jesus Christ, in all its terrifying majesty.

— The New Yorker, "MasterVoices: The “St. John Passion”," 9 Feb. 2017

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

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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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