oratorio
oratorio Lexical Profile
oratorio Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A large-scale musical composition for orchestra, choir, and vocal soloists, typically setting a sacred or biblical narrative and performed without costumes, scenery, or dramatic action.
"Every December, the symphony orchestra and civic chorus gather to perform Handel's most famous oratorio, 'Messiah'."
Word Nuance & Usage
While structurally similar to an opera in its use of soloists, a chorus, and an orchestra, an oratorio is nearly always based on a religious theme and is performed as a concert piece without scenery, costumes, or dramatic acting.
• Rhymes for oratorio
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the early 18th century from Italian 'oratorio' (meaning 'oratory' or 'place of prayer'), from Late Latin 'oratorium'. The musical genre took its name from the Congregation of the Oratory in Rome, founded by St. Philip Neri in the 16th century, where sacred musical dramas were performed.