Grace Notes

Musical Term: ORatorio

An oratorio is a musical composition with dramatic or narrative text for choir, soloists and orchestra or other ensemble. 

The main difference between an opera and an oratorio is the production style. Operas are theatrical productions, while oratorios are concert pieces without costumes, scenery, or action. 

Well-known examples of oratorios include Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, Handel’s Messiah, and Haydn’s The Creation.  Handel is often considered the master of the oratorio form.

When did the oratorio form begin? Giacomo Carissimi was a 17th-century Roman composer and priest and is known as “the father of the oratorio”—the first composer to write in the form, a century before Handel. 

[UVB attendees may remember that we performed Carissimi’s Jephte in October 2023.  In that performance, soprano Chelsea Helm played the lead female role so beautifully.  Chelsea will be back as one of the soloists in our April performances of Handel’s L’Allegro.]