oratorio
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of oratorio
1625–35; < Italian: small chapel < Late Latin ōrātōrium oratory 2; so named from the musical services in the church of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri in Rome
Explanation
An oratorio is a musical piece that is usually lengthy and based on some Biblical or religious event. It is a performance for voice and orchestra, but the story is told through the music, and not with scenery, costumes, and action. In Rome, musical services were presented in the church of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri. An oratory, from the Latin word oratorium, meant "place of prayer." These sorts of musical services spawned the type of music known as oratorios. Handel's Messiah is a well known oratorio that is often performed at Christmas. You are probably familiar with the part that goes "Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!"
Vocabulary lists containing oratorio
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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2015 Spelling Bee - Words from Round 2
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Body Language: Or, Os ("Mouth")
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The events began when police raided the sect's farm in Oratorio, south-east of Guatemala City, on Friday, taking the children into care.
From BBC • Dec. 23, 2024
It’s time we dig out Bach’s joyous “Christmas” Oratorio, Berlioz’s ravishing “L’Enfance du Christ,” Liszt’s cinematic “Christus,” Honegger’s contemplative “Christmas” Cantata, Christopher Rouse’s carousing “Karolju” and George Crumb’s adorable “Little Suite for Christmas,” for starters.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 22, 2021
He is one of the finest modern conductors of Bach; with the Dunedin Consort, based in Edinburgh, he has made incisive, expressive recordings of the Passions, the B-Minor Mass, and the Christmas Oratorio.
From The New Yorker • Dec. 25, 2016
With the chorus and orchestra of the venerable Oratorio Society sing soloists Susanna Phillips, Matthew Plenk and John Moore.
From New York Times • Oct. 29, 2015
Oratorio societies were rampant, that Lent, and he had been the popular baritone of the season, completely ousting from public favor the bass who had monopolized the applause for six or seven years previous.
From The Dominant Strain by Edwards, H. C. (Harry C.)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
