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| or·a·to·ri·o [ àwrə táwree ] (plural or·a·to·ri·os) |
noun |
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| Definition: |
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1. piece of religious classical music: a musical composition for voices and instruments that has a religious theme, often telling a sacred story but not using costumes, scenery, or dramatic staging. Handel's Messiah is an example of this genre.
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2. oratorios in general: oratorios as a musical genre
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| [Mid-17th century. < Italian, after the Oratory of St. Philip Neri in Rome] |
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