oratorio | music | Britannica.com Oratorio choral music Oratorio, a large-scale musical composition on a sacred or semisacred subject, for solo voices, chorus, and orchestra . An oratorio’s text is usually based on scripture, and the narration necessary to move from scene to scene is supplied by recitatives sung by various voices to prepare the way for airs and choruses. A basically dramatic method is used in all successful oratorios, though they may or may not be produced with theatrical action. The oratorio is not intended for liturgical use, and it may be performed in both churches and concert halls. The principal schools of oratorios are the Italian, essentially a form of religious opera; the German, developed from treatment of the Passion story; and the English, synthesized by the composer George Frideric Handel from several forms. The term oratorio derives from the oratory of the Roman church in which, in the mid-16th century, St. Philip Neri instituted moral musical entertainments, which were divided by a sermon, hence the two-act form common in early Italian oratorio. The golden age of oratorio: 1600–c.

1750 The earliest surviving oratorio is Rappresentazione di anima et di corpo ( The Representation of Soul and Body ) by Emilio del Cavaliere , produced in 1600 with dramatic action, including ballet. Toward the mid-17th century Giacomo Carissimi introduced a more sober type with a Latin text based on the Old Testament . His oratorios (some short, some longer) are simple and free from extravagance and make effective use of the chorus. Their style is basically operatic, though, and the most memorable episodes are those in which the narrative is interrupted and the characters express their emotions. Latin- and Italian-language types of oratorios continued in use, but the vernacular Italian oratorio volgare, sung by virtuoso singers, was more popular and flourished until the late 18th century. Stage action had been abandoned in the oratorios of Italy by the late 18th century. The French composer Marc-Antoine Charpentier , who studied with Carissimi, successfully transferred the Italian oratorio to France.

Similar Topics Pulitzer Prize The German oratorio began with Heinrich Schütz , a composer whose style is a blend of German and Italian elements. His oratorios, confined to Gospel subjects, show great powers of emotional expression and anticipate those of Johann Sebastian Bach in their vigorous treatment of the choruses. In his Easter Oratorio (published 1623) Schütz retains the old convention of setting the words of each character for two or more voices. His oratorios achieve a balance between austerity and exuberance, but by the late 17th century this balance had been disturbed. Passion oratorio texts (dealing with the death of Jesus) of this period often abandon biblical words for a mixture of rhymed paraphrase and lyrical commentary of a more or less sentimental nature. Listen: Bach, J.S.: St. John Passion, BWV 245 The aria “Lasset uns den nicht Zerteilen” from J.S. Bach’s St. … J.S. Bach ’s two great Passion oratorios, the Passion According to St. John (first performed 1724) and the Passion According to St.

Matthew (1729), restored the balance attained by Schütz, though they are written on a greater scale and are enriched by the introduction of the later Italian aria . Bach, besides increasing the significance of the chorale , or congregational hymn , used the evangelist’s narrative as a framework for binding the dramatic element (the words of the characters) to the epic and contemplative sections (arias, chorales, opening and final choruses). There is nothing novel about Bach’s settings except their genius, which holds the long and complex structure in perfect balance. The Christmas Oratorio and other works by Bach that bear the name oratorio are more properly church cantatas. G.F. Handel ’s oratorios are essentially theatrical presentations that reflect his experience as an opera composer. Most of his oratorios use biblical stories put into modern librettos. Influenced by opera, masque, and even Greek tragedy, they were performed by opera singers in theatres (though ecclesiastical prejudice forbade stage action) and have no direct connection with the church.

The breadth of Handel’s achievement in the genre has been distorted by the concentration of posterity on such oratorios as Saul and Israel in Egypt (1739), Messiah (1742), and Samson (1743). In these and Handel’s other oratorios, his mastery of characterization and of every type of choral utterance is crowned by a deep and sympathetic pondering of the moral issues involved in the story. Oratorio after 1750 Listen: “Creation, The”: excerpt from “The Creation” Excerpt from the oratorio The Creation (1798) by Joseph Haydn. After Bach and Handel, oratorio on the European continent, apart from the works of Joseph Haydn , ceased to represent a vital, creative tradition. Haydn’s Die Schöpfung (1798; The Creation ) shows the impact of Handel’s oratorios and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s operas, fusing these epic and dramatic elements with Haydn’s own mature mastery of symphonic style to make the work a masterpiece.

Haydn called Die Jahreszeiten (1801; The Seasons ) an oratorio, though its content is secular and its form a loosely articulated series of evocative pieces. Ludwig van Beethoven’s single oratorio, Christus am Ölberg (1803; Christ on the Mount of Olives), does not succeed, nor do most of those occasioned by the 19th-century large halls, choral societies, and festivals, especially in Germany and England. Christianity Quiz Felix Mendelssohn ’s Elijah (1846) is one of the few 19th-century oratorios still performed. Mendelssohn’s promotion of the revival of Bach’s music and his experience of Handel’s music led him to attempt a fusion of the two styles. Elijah is remarkable for the vitality of the choruses, but Mendelssohn’s earlier oratorio St. Paul (1836) has been criticized as expressing no religious emotion except in terms of respectable complacency .

Germany produced little of consequence after Mendelssohn, unless Ein deutsches Requiem ( A German Requiem; 1868), a setting of texts from Martin Luther’s Bible by Johannes Brahms , is classed as an oratorio. The two oratorios of Franz Liszt , Christus (composed 1855–56) and Die Legende von der heiligen Elisabeth ( The Legend of St. Elizabeth; 1873), combine devotional and theatrical elements on the grandest scale. Italian oratorio remained in abeyance after the 18th century, and Slavic composers produced few oratorios. Perhaps the only French oratorio of major importance is L’Enfance du Christ (1854) by Hector Berlioz , a series of theatrical tableaus. Connect with Britannica Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Pinterest A masterpiece of 20th-century English oratorio is Sir Edward Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius (1900). The poem by Cardinal Newman on which it is based has a dramatic framework within which the music could expand without becoming disorderly.

Igor Stravinsky’s opera-oratorio Oedipus Rex (1927), with a Latin text, was most successful in the opera house. The Swiss Frank Martin was one of the most active oratorio composers in the mid-20th century. A number of large-scale works, generally secular in content, have come out of the Soviet Union and eastern European communist countries and China. An especially notable oratorio is the St. Luke Passion of the Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki . See also Passion music . More about oratorio oratorio - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up) The large-scale musical composition for solo voices, chorus, and orchestra using a sacred or semisacred text is known as an oratorio. It is not intended for use during religious ceremonies, but texts are usually based on scripture. The narration used to shift the vocal setting from scene to scene is most often sung in recitative, or free declamatory, style. Recitatives are sung by various voices to prepare for solo arias and choruses. The word oratorio comes from the oratory of a church in Rome where St.

Philip Neri instituted musical entertainments in the mid-16th century for the reform of the youth of the city. The principal types of oratorio are the Italian, basically a form of religious opera; the German, which developed from treatment of the Passion story; and the English, created by George Frideric Handel as a synthesis of several forms. All three types reached their climax in the works of Johann Sebastian Bach in Germany and Handel in England. Article History Haydn: The Creation, The Seasons Haydn: The Creation, The Seasons Welcome to Talk Classical - A community covering every aspect of classical music! You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our community you will have access to post topics, upload content and access many other features. Registration is absolutely free so please, join our classical music forums ! If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us . 1 Haydn: The Creation, The Seasons Haydn wrote two great oratorios almost one after the other: Die Schöpfung/The Creation (1798), and Die Jahreszeiten/The Seasons (1801).

Both masterpieces are amongst his best works, and amongst the oratorio genre as a whole (certainly as far as the Classical period is concerned). And perhaps nothing in the oratorio genre came close by later composers. So, what do you think of these works? You love it? You hate it/trash it? (I think Igor Stravinsky didn’t think much of The Creation, calling it "childish" but correct me if this is wrong). Which versions on recording do you have? Any good? The Creation: I have Tafelmusik/Bruo Weil (sung in German), The Academy of Ancient Music/Hogwod (sung in English, translation used as conducted by Haydn for London performance), and Capella Augustina/Andreas Spering (sung in German, Naxos label). All three versions on period instruments. Warmly recommend them. I'm thinking of getting John Eliot Gardiner's, and Rene Jacob's. No hurry. Wondering if anyone here has these? The Seasons: I have John Eliot Gardiner's version only. I will get Rene Jacob's version. There are less recordings of this great work; overshadowed by it's younger sibling.

9 The Creation and The Seasons are certainly two of Haydn's best works... an spectacular choral works. The "Let there be LIGHT (or "Licht") with the booming introduction of choral and orchestral forces as the universe explodes into being is absolutely stunning. Stravinsky? He was really a bit of a moron when it came to judging other composers, now wasn't he? There's a great little book by the brilliant Latin-American writer, Alejo Carpentier entitled Baroque Concerto. Much of this book is something of a Baroque fantasy including a scene with Vivaldi and Stravinsky. Stravinsky mouths his oft-repeated criticism of Vivaldi, declaring that he didn't write 100s of concertos, but the same concerto 100s of times. Vivaldi responds that at least he was never reduced to composing music for the puppet theater. Talk about "childish". I have both the Gardiner and the Karajan recording. Karajan's is obviously not an HIP recording... and there are those who argue that the man was unsuited to conducting Haydn, anyway... but with Fritz Wunderlich??!! You can't go wrong.

The Gardiner, on the other hand, is a muscular HIP production and also every bit worthy of its reputation. 1 Originally Posted by DrMike I have been curious about The Seasons - I've not been the biggest Haydn fan. My tastes tend more towards the Romantic and the Baroque, so I don't listen to a lot of Classical, but I have been increasingly enjoying HIP Classical, so maybe I'll have to give Haydn a little more attention and listen to The Creation. Any recommendations for HIP recordings of The Seasons? I know of only three versions of The Seasons on HIP: John Eliot Gardiner (which I have), Rene Jacobs (I will get one day) and Nicholas Harnoncourt. Haydn seemed to have struggled with it more than The Creation, partly due to old age and partly (as history seem to suggest), with its perceived weak libretto. The libretto was compiled by Baron Gottfried van Swieten, who also provided The Creation. (van Swieten was a conservative, wealthy, aristocratic public servant, who was a great patron of the best around his time: C. P. E. Bach, Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven, and promoted the music of J. S.

Bach and Handel behind private closed doors. He was portrayed as the "good guy" in the movie Amadeus). THE CLASSICAL PERIOD (1775-1825) THE CLASSICAL PERIOD (1775-1825) The Baroque period culminated in the masterpieces of J.S. Bach and G.F. Handel. In the middle of the eighteenth century, contemporaneous with the mature years of Bach and Handel, a new musical style developed that is known as Rococo or preclassical style. This style is most evident in keyboard and orchestral music, but it is mentioned here because it represented a transition from the Baroque to the Classical era, occurring between 1725 and 1770. In the world of painting, Rococo style is characterized by delicate colors, many decorative details, and a graceful and intimate mood. Similarly, music in the Rococo style is homophonic and light in texture, melodic, and elaborately ornamented. In France, the term for this was style galant (gallant or elegant style) and in Germany empfindsamer stil (sensitive style).

François Couperin (1668-1733), in France, and two of the sons of J. S. Bach, C. P. E. Bach (1714-1788) and Johann Christian Bach (1735-1782), in Germany, were important composers of music in the Rococo style. In the second half of the eighteenth century, a reaction against Rococo style occurred. There were objections to its lack of depth and to the use of decoration and ornamentation for their own sake. This led to the development of Classical style. The Classical period itself lasted from approximately 1775 to 1825. The name classical is applied to the period because in art and literature, there was keen interest in, admiration for, and emulation of the classical artistic and literary heritage of Greece and Rome. Intellectually, this era has also been labeled the Age of Enlightenment. Philosophers such as Rousseau, Voltaire, and Montesquieu wrote of the value of the common person and the power of human reasoning in overcoming the problems of the world. This revolution in thinking inevitably led to conflict between the old order and new ideas.

The French and American revolutions in the last quarter of the eighteenth century were stimulated by this new attitude. The musical scene in the classical period reflected the changes occurring in the society in which the music was being written. This was the first era in music history in which public concerts became an important part of the musical scene. Music was still being composed for the church and the court, but the advent of public concerts reflected the new view that music should be written for the enjoyment and entertainment of the common person. Unlike the Renaissance or Baroque eras, which included many important composers and trends, the choral music of the classical era was dominated by three composers: Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809), Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791), and Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827). For the first time, during the Classical period most of the important stylistic advances that occurred can be observed most clearly in the instrumental forms: the symphony, concerto, sonata, and in instrumental chamber music (e.g., the Beethoven string quartets).

Church music tended to be more conservative than secular compositions, which also helps to explain why stylistic innovations were seen most clearly in instrumental music but were less prevalent in the choral music of the period. Choral and instrumental forms overlapped during the Classical period to an unprecedented degree. Forms developed in the instrumental area were appropriated and used to good effect in choral music. Sonata allegro form, for example, often found in sonata or symphony movements, is also used in sections of classical masses. Beethoven included choral sections in two instrumental works, his Choral Fantasia and the Ninth Symphony. This period in music history is sometimes referred to as "the Viennese Classic period," and it was centered in Vienna. Beethoven, Haydn, and Mozart, though none was a native Viennese, all worked in Vienna for significant periods in their careers. Although Vienna was the focal point for musical activity of the period, classical music is not parochial but universal in spirit and in style. Important Forms Important forms of choral music during the classical period included the following: Mass. The mass continued to be an important form for each of the three primary Classical composers.

During the Classical period, masses involved orchestra, soloists, and choir in a fully integrated work, utilizing organizational principles derived from instrumental forms. Missa Brevis. This concise treatment of the mass text may consist of strictly delimited development, simultaneous setting of several lines of text, or the omission of certain sections of the mass. Missa Solemnis. When choral musicians refer to the Missa Solemnis they are usually speaking of Beethoven's Mass in D Major, a milestone in the development of choral music. In a broader sense, however, the term refers to a more elaborate and extended musical treatment of the mass text than that employed in the Missa Brevis. Oratorio. The Baroque oratorio tradition, begun by Carissimi and culminating in the works of Handel, was continued in the Classical period primarily by Haydn, who wrote two oratorios, The Creation and The Seasons, which have remained an important part of the choral repertoire. Requiem.

Although many musical settings of the Requiem were composed during the Renaissance and Baroque periods, the Classical period produced a setting by Mozart (completed by a student following Mozart's death) that has become a staple of the choral repertoire and two settings by Cherubini that are also often performed. Vespers. Mozart wrote two settings of this service each of which includes psalms and the Magnificat, written for choir, quartet of soloists, and orchestra. Choral Symphony. A symphony which includes sections written for choir and orchestra. The earliest and probably best known example of this is Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, incorporating choir and soloists in the fourth movement. Composers Haydn. Franz Joseph Haydn was born in the Rohrau, Austria, in 1732. At age eight he was accepted as a choirboy at St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna. When he left St. Stephen's in 1749, he became an assistant to Nicola Porpora.

In 1759, he worked briefly as musical director for Count Morzin, and in 1761 was employed as assistant music director and then music director for the Esterhazy family, residing at their estate. He remained with the Esterhazys for nearly thirty years, until 1790. During the last decade of the eighteenth century, Haydn made two trips to London. He had been hired by Johann Peter Salomon to compose and conduct six symphonies for his first trip (1791-1792) and six for his second (1794-1795). Haydn's London appearances were highly successful. Upon his return to Vienna in 1795, Haydn composed some of his most significant choral music. The six masses from this period, composed for Prince Nicholas Esterhazy (the son of Haydn's earlier employer), and his two oratorios, The Creation and The Seasons, are his most significant choral works. Haydn's total choral output included twelve masses, three oratorios, a passion, two Te Deums, a Stabat Mater, and a few other smaller works.

In his later years, Haydn was a celebrity whose works were widely recognized and appreciated, in contrast to the decades spent in the relative isolation of the Esterhazy estate. He died in 1809 in Vienna. Mozart. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg, Austria, in 1756. At the age of six, he could play the harpsichord and violin, compose, and performed in Munich and Vienna. Between the ages of six and fifteen, Mozart was taken on tours of Europe and England, organized by his father, Leopold Mozart, a Salzburg court composer. Although he was away from home more than half of the time, he produced a steady stream of compositions during this period. In 1781, Mozart left Salzburg and moved to Vienna, teaching, concertizing, traveling, and continuing to compose constantly. In contrast to Haydn, who worked in the isolation and relative obscurity of the Esterhazy estate for many years and then became an international celebrity in his sixties, Mozart was thrust into international prominence as a child and encountered decreasing public acceptance of his music when he was an adult.

By 1791, Mozart's health was failing. He received a commission that resulted in the composition of The Magic Flute. He was also visited by a representative of a Count Walsegg, who commissioned a requiem. Mozart may have believed he was writing a requiem for himself. He died before completing the work, and it was finished by a pupil of Mozart's named Sussmayer, working from Mozart's sketches of the unfinished portion. Mozart's choral output includes eighteen masses, the Requiem, two Vespers settings, and a variety of shorter choral pieces. Beethoven. Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany, in 1770. He came to Vienna in 1792, where he studied with Haydn and Albrechtsberger. His first public performances in Vienna as a pianist and composer came in 1795. Beethoven protested against the patronage system that bound musicians to the service of an employer. Increasingly deaf, Beethoven eventually was forced to retire from public performance and to concentrate on composition.

Unlike Mozart, who seemed to conceive of music in final form and who simply wrote down his conceptions, Beethoven's sketchbooks provide a record of his agonizing struggle to arrive at a composition he felt was satisfactory. Beethoven was primarily a composer of instrumental music, and it is in his symphonies, piano music, and string quartets that the transition from Classic to Romantic style is most clearly discernible. Nevertheless, his choral music is an important part of the repertoire, and his Mass in D Major, the Missa Solemnis, is one of the monuments of Western musical tradition. Beethoven's choral output included two masses, an oratorio, two symphonic works with large choral sections and a few smaller pieces. Classical Style Music from the Classical period is distinctive in style from what preceded and followed it. Some of the questions related to performance practice in Renaissance and Baroque music are less complex because at this point in Music history we have much clearer and more explicit indications from the composer concerning the tempo, dynamics, and expressive qualities of the Music under consideration. Moreover, there have been public performances of this repertoire from the time of its composition to the present.

This is both a help and a hindrance in light of the fact that through the last two centuries, certain Romantic conventions have become an accepted part of the performance of this music, and they are not always appropriate to authentic Classical style (this same Problem of inappropriate performance conventions added during the Romantic period exists with Baroque repertoire and, to a lesser extent, music from the Renaissance). Classical choral music tends to be more homophonic and lighter in texture than that of the Baroque. This lightness needs to pervade the choral lines. There is still rhythmic energy and drive, but without the weightiness of Baroque music. The lighter quality of Classical music also is derived from its slower harmonic movement. Baroque music, with its emphasis on vertical structure and use of figured bass and basso continuo, is characterized by frequent harmonic changes, sometimes on every beat. Classical music changes chords much less frequently, giving it a more graceful sweep and lightness of phrasing than that created by the pulsating feel of a harpsichordist realizing a Baroque figured bass part, supporting the choral singing with rapidly changing embellished chords.

During the Classic period, the keyboard player was no longer typically the composer/ conductor, but instead was simply one of the players in the orchestra. The keyboard part should be much less obtrusive and less highly decorated than that of a Baroque work. The choral music of the Classic period is generally conservative, and therefore often contains sections of free counterpoint, fugue, and use of continuo, reminiscent of the Baroque. This is particularly true in the music written in the early part of the period. The Classical era was an era of formality. The music was characterized by careful attention to form and by elegance and restraint. The formal structure was based on the use of thematic development and harmonic structure. The music of the Classical era is characterized by objectivity. While emotion is an important aspect of all music, in the Classical period, emotions were carefully controlled. This control is evident in the use of dynamics and expressive differences within sections or movements of a composition. The Baroque notion of terraced dynamics, coupled with the expression of a single emotion in a given section of a composition, was replaced by the classical trait of varying the emotional content of a given movement, section, or even a measure of a piece.

Dynamically speaking, this was accomplished through the use of crescendo and decrescendo. CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Oratorio Home > Catholic Encyclopedia > O > Oratorio Oratorio Help support New Advent and get the full contents of this website as an instant download . Includes the Catholic Encyclopedia, Church Fathers, Summa, Bible and more  all for only $19.99... As at present understood, an Oratorio is a musical composition for solo voices, chorus, orchestra, and organ, to a religious text generally taken from Holy Scripture . The dramatic element contained in the text depends for its expression on the music alone. The tradition that the oratorio originated in St. Philip Neri's oratory has recently been attacked, notably by the historian and critic E. Schelle, in "Neue Zeitschrift für Musik" (Leipzig, 1864). The chief point he makes is that the oratories of San Girolamo and Santa Maria in Vallicella, at Rome , were unsuitable for the performance of sacred dramas.

In refutation, it suffices to recall the established fact that Emiglio del Cavaglieri's rapprasentazione sacra, "Anima e corpo", had its first performance in the Vallicella (Chiesa Nuova) in 1600, five years after the death of St. Philip. Although the name oratorio was not applied to the new form until sixty years later (Andrea Bontempi, 1624-1705), there is an unbroken tradition connecting the exercises established by St. Philip with the period when the new art-form received its definite character. While in the sixteenth century liturgical polyphonic music reached its highest development, secular music boasted only one ensemble or choral form, the madrigal. The spirit of the Renaissance , that is the revolt against the domination of the arts by the spirit of the Church , led to the restoration of Greek monody, and gradually perfected compositions for one or more voices and instruments which ultimately culminated in the opera. St.

Philip, realizing the great power of music, provided in the rule for his congregation, "that his fathers together with the faithful , should rouse themselves to the contemplation of heavenly things by means of musical harmony". He seized upon the good in the new trend and made it the foundation of a new form upon which he, perhaps unconsciously, put a stamp retained ever since. He practically created a style midway between liturgical and secular music. His love of simplicity caused him to oppose and counteract the prevailing artificial semi-pagan, literary, and oratorical style which had its musical counterpart in the display of contrapuntal skill for its own sake practised to so great an extent at that time. He drew to himself masters like Giovanni Annimuccia and Pier Luigi da Palestrina , formed them spiritually, and bade them set to music, in simple and clear style, for three or four voices, short poems in the vernacular, generally written by himself, and called "Laudi spirituali". Many of these were preserved by F. Soto di Langa, a musician and a disciple of the saint .

Their performance alternated with spiritual reading, prayer , and a sermon by one of the fathers, by a layman , or even by a boy. From these exercises, which attracted enormous crowds, and obtained great renown throughout Italy , it was but a step to the Commedia harmonica "Amfiparnasso", by Orazio Vecchi (1550-1605), a dialogue in madrigal form between two choirs (first performed at Modena in 1594), and the rapprasentazione sacra "Anima e corpo", by Cavaglieri. The latter consisted of short phrases for a single voice, more varied in form than the recitativo secco, but not yet sufficiently developed to have a distinct melodic physiognomy, accompanied by instruments, and choral numbers, or madrigals. Similar productions multiplied rapidly. Wherever the Oratorians established themselves they cultivated this form to attract the young people. The municipal library of Hamburg contains a collection, gathered by Chrysander of twenty-two different texts which originated with the disciples of St. Philip during the second half of the seventeenth century.

Even more active in the creation and propagation of these musico-dramatic productions throughout this period were the Jesuits , who, especially in Germany , used these musical plays in their schools and colleges everywhere. Up to the latter part of the seventeenth century the burden of the texts for these compositions was either a legend, the history of a conversion, the life of a saint , or the passion of a martyr . Among those who cultivated, or helped in developing, the oratorio in Italy were Benedetto Ferrari (1597-1681), "Samsone"; Agostino Agazzari (1578-1640), dramma pastorale, "Eumelio"; Loreto Vitorii (1588-1670) "La pellegrina costante", "Sant' Ignazio Loyola". Giacomo Carissimi (1604-74), through whom the oratorio made a notable advance, was the first master to turn to Holy Scripture for his texts.

His works, with Latin or Italian texts, many of which have been preserved (see CARISSIMI ) together with those of his contemporaries, show practically the same construction as is followed in the present time: recitatives, arias, duets, and terzettos, alternating with single and double choruses and instrumental numbers. The historicus or narrator (in some scores designated by the word testo, "text") has replaced scenic display and dramatic action. Carissimi's orchestration exhibits a resourcefulness and charm before unknown. His oratorio "Jephtha" (in an arrangement by Dr. Immanuel Faisst) was performed successfully at Leipzig as recently as 1873. After him, the greatest Italian master was Alessandro Scarlatti (1659-1725) a pupil of Francesco Provenzale and Carissimi . Chief among his works are "I dolori di Maria" and "Il Sacrificio d'Abramo".

About this time the leadership passed to Germany , where Heinrich Schütz (1585-1672) had previously prepared the soil by his compositions known as "Passion music" and other works resembling the Italian oratorio. Others who had received their formation in Italy , but whose activity was chiefly confined to Germany , and who transplanted the oratorio thither, were Ignatius Jacob Holzbauer (1711-83), "Bethulia liberata"; Johann Adolphe Hasse (1699-1783), "La Conversione di S. Agostino" etc.; Antonio Caldara (1670-1736); Nicolo Jomelli (1714-1774); Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1634-1704), a pupil of Carissimi and a gifted composer, wrote, besides a large number of works for the church, eighteen oratorios in the style of his master which had great vogue in France . His "Reniement de St. Pierre" has recently been revived with great success in Paris , and has since been published.

In the hands of Johann Mattheson (1681-1764), the oratorio becomes identified with Protestant worship in Germany . Contemporary with George Frederick Händel (1685-1759) he wrote twenty-four oratorios, intended to be divided into two parts by a sermon, the whole constituting a religious service. His texts were mostly taken from Scripture. Biblical events are brought into conjunction and contrasted with contemporary happenings, and a moral is drawn. Others who cultivated the oratorio form, particularly in Protestant Germany , were George Philip Telemann (1681-1767), Constantine Bellermann (1696-1758), and Dietrich Buxtehude (1637-1707). Through Händel the oratorio attained a position in musical art more important than at any previous period in its history and never surpassed since. In his hands it became the expression of the sturdy Saxon faith unaffected by the spirit of doubt latent in the religious revolt of the sixteenth century. Formed in Germany and Italy , he united in a pre-eminent degree the highest creative gifts.

The most productive period of his life was spent in England , and, after having cultivated the opera for a number of years, he finally turned to the oratorio, producing a series of works ("The Messiah", "Israel in Egypt", "Saul", "Jephtha", "Belshazar", "Samson" etc.) unrivalled for heroic grandeur and brilliancy. It may be said that they express the national religious ideal of a Protestant Christian people more adequately than does their form of worship. This undoubtedly accounts for the interest taken in oratorio performances by the people in England and in Protestant Germany . Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) produced two of the greatest oratorios which we possess: "The Creation" and "The Seasons". While composed to secular texts, they breathe the most tender piety and joy through an inexhaustible wealth of lyric and lofty music.

A third oratorio, "Ritorno di Tobia", on a Biblical text, has not the same importance, nor does Mozart (1756-91), in his only oratorio, "Davidde penitente", attain the artistic level of most of his productions, Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) wrote one oratorio, "The Mount of Olives", which shows him at his best. Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1809-47), in "Elijah" and "St. Paul", returns to the early Protestant feature of letting the supposed congregation or audience participate in the performance by singing the chorales or church hymns , the texts of which consist of reflections and meditations on what has preceded. From this period the oratorio begins to be cultivated almost exclusively by Catholics . Franz Liszt (1811-86), with his "Christus" and "Legende der Heiligen Elizabeth", opens up a new and distinctly Catholic era.

France , which, since the days of Charpentier, had practically neglected the oratorio, probably on account of the opera appealing more strongly to French taste and temperament, and because of the lack of amateur singers has, within the last thirty years, furnished a number of remarkable works. Charles-François Gounod (1818-93) with his "Redemption", and "Mors et Vita", gave a renewed impetus to the cultivation of the oratorio. The "Samson and Delilah" of Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-) may be performed either as an oratorio or as an opera; as opera it has attained the greater favour. Jules Massenet (1842-) has essayed the form with his "Eve" and "Mary Magdalen", but his style is entirely too sensational and melodramatic to carry the text. Gabriel Pierné's (1863-) "Children's Crusade" and the smaller work, "The Children at Bethlehem", have both obtained great popularity in Europe and America.

Italy's sole representative of any note in more than two hundred years is Don Lorenzo Perosi (1872-), with his trilogy "The Passion of Our Lord according to St. Mark", "The Transfiguration of Christ", and "The Resurrection of Lazarus", a "Christmas Oratorio", "Leo the Great", and "The Last Judgment". Belgium and England have produced the three most remarkable exponents of the oratorio within the last fifty years. César Auguste Franck's (1822-90) oratorios, "Ruth", "Rebecca", "Redemption", and, above all, his "Beatitudes", rank among the greatest of modern works of the kind. Edward William Elgar (1857-) has become famous by his "Dream of Gerontius" and his "Apostles". But Edgar Tinel (1854-) is probably the most gifted among the modern Catholics who have reclaimed the oratorio from non-Catholic supremacy. His world-famous "St. Francis of Assisi" is perhaps more remarkable for the spiritual heights it reveals than for its dramatic power.

Other works of his which have attracted attention are "Godoleva" and "St. Catherine". It is a happy omen that all these authors, in the fore-front of present-day composers, command the highest creative and constructive skill which enables them to turn into Catholic channels all the modern conquests in means of expression. The Catholic Oratorio Society of New York was founded in 1904 to promote the knowledge and reproduction of oratorios that best exemplify the religious ideal. Haydn, Franz Joseph Encyclopedia > People > Literature and the Arts > Music: History, Composers, and Performers: Biographies Franz Joseph Haydn Haydn, Franz Joseph (fränts yōˈzĕf hĪˈdən) [ key ], 1732–1809, Austrian composer, one of the greatest masters of classical music. As a boy he sang in the choir at St. Stephen's, Vienna, where he received his principal musical training. He struggled in poverty for years, earning a meager living as a teacher and accompanist. Eventually, his compositions came to the attention of some of Vienna's music-loving aristocrats, and under their patronage his career progressed rapidly.

Most of his prodigious musical output was produced during the 29 years of his service as musical director to the princes Esterházy, beginning in 1761. During the 1780s, when he received commissions from London and Paris and honors from all over Europe, he formed a close friendship with Mozart, an association that influenced the music of each. In 1791 and 1794 he made lucrative visits to London, where he held concerts featuring his own music. During this period he wrote the 12 so-called Salomon Symphonies (after the impresario who had arranged his tours), much chamber music, and a large number of songs with English texts. Haydn's works are notable for their originality, liveliness, optimism, and instrumental brilliance. He established the basic forms of symphonic music and string quartet, which were to be a model and inspiration for the works of Mozart, and of Beethoven, who studied under Haydn. Important in the development of the classic sonata form, his string quartets and symphonies expanded the three-movement sonata form of C. P. E.

Bach, adding one or two minuets before the last movement. Two great oratorios, The Creation (1798) and The Seasons (1801), were written in his old age. His works include over 100 symphonies, many known by such names as the Farewell Symphony (1772), the Surprise Symphony (1791), the Military Symphony (1794), and the Clock Symphony (1794); over 80 string quartets; much other chamber music; more than 50 piano sonatas; and numerous operas, masses, and songs. See biographies by L. Nohl (1902, 7th ed. 1971), R. Hughes (rev. ed. 1978), and K. and I. Geiringer (3d ed. 1982); C. Rosen, The Classical Style (1972); H. C. R. Landon, The Symphonies of Joseph Haydn (1955), Haydn: Chronicle and Works (5 vol., 1976–80). The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed.

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Question: Who wrote the music of the oratorios The Creation and The Seasons ?
Answer: HAYDN