oratorio
/ɔɹə'to:ɹeoʋ/ noun
Forms oratorios
- noun (music) A musical composition, often based on a religious theme; similar to opera but with no costume, scenery or acting.
Synonyms
Etymology
Borrowed from Italian oratorio (“oratorical”), from Latin ōrātōrius. Doublet of oratory.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A more or less dramatic text or poem, founded on some Scripture nerrative, or great divine event, elaborately set to music, in recitative, arias, grand choruses, etc., to be sung with an orchestral accompaniment, but without action, scenery, or costume, although the oratorio grew out of the Mysteries and the Miracle and Passion plays, which were acted.
- noun Performance or rendering of such a composition.
Etymology [It., fr. L. oratorius belonging to praying. See Orator, and cf. Oratory.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “oratorio”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details