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The Oratorio: Paradox In Music, Carolyn Yeldell

Honors Theses

Without a doubt, the most ambiguous and obscure of the larger musical forms is the oratorio. It is extremely difficult to define because it has taken so many meanings at different times and in different countries. One may explain or describe it as a dramatic poem, usually of religious or contemplative character (but not liturgical), to be performed throughout by solo voices, chorus, and orchestra in a concert hall or church without the assistance of scenery, costumes, or action. This description, however, does not cover every example of oratorical literature; exceptions are already evident, even with the works by composers …