oratorio etymology

Etymology:

  • Latin: oratorium
  • From Late Latin: orare ("to pray")
  • Related to: oral, oratory

Meaning and Origin:

An oratorio is a dramatic musical composition, typically with religious themes, that is performed by singers and an orchestra.

It originated from the 17th-century practice of holding religious services in private chapels known as oratories. These services often included music, and over time, the term "oratorio" came to describe any large-scale musical work intended for performance in a church or concert hall.

Oratorios are typically characterized by:

  • A narrative or dramatic storyline
  • Religious, moral, or philosophical themes
  • Recitatives (sung speech)
  • Arias (sung solos)
  • Choruses
  • Instrumental accompaniment

Notable examples of oratorios include:

  • George Frideric Handel's "Messiah"
  • Johann Sebastian Bach's "Matthäus-Passion"
  • Gioachino Rossini's "Stabat Mater"
  • Felix Mendelssohn's "Elijah"

oratorio relate terms

  • orator

    Etymology Latin orator speaker Proto Indo European h₁or to speak Meaning

  • oral

    Etymology of Oral The word oral is derived from the Latin word ōrālis meaning o

  • oratory

    Etymology Latin oratorium place or room for prayer Late Latin oratorius belongi

  • oratorio

    Etymology Latin oratorium From Late Latin orare to pray Related to oral oratory

  • orator

    Etymology Latin orator speaker Proto Indo European h₁or to speak Meaning

  • classical

    Etymology of Classical The term classical has its roots in Latin classicus pertai

  • body

    Etymology Old English bod Proto Germanic bodaz Proto Indo European bʰedʰ Mean

  • magazine

    Etymology The word magazine derives from the French word magasin which in turn comes

  • tutor

    Etymology The word tutor originates from the Latin word tutor which means guardian

  • soda

    Etymology The word soda originates from the Arabic term suwwad or sawda which mea

  • science

    Etymology Latin scientia meaning knowledge Greek ἐπιστήμη epistēmē m

  • perpendicular

    Etymology and Meaning The word perpendicular comes from the Latin words per through

  • disheveled

    Etymology Disheveled is derived from the following linguistic elements dis pre

  • profit

    Etymology The word profit comes from the Latin word profectus meaning progress or