[Classical] Masterpieces of oratorios. Recommended classical music.

ChristFranz Liszt

Liszt: Christus – 1.Weihnachts-Oratorium [Antal Doráti]

It is one of the oratorios composed by Franz Liszt, a composer renowned for his piano works.

Although Liszt was an outstanding pianist, he was also skilled at arrangement, which led him to produce many orchestral works.

Moreover, as a composer deeply committed to his Catholic faith, he devoted himself to composing and reforming sacred choral music, and thus also wrote oratorios.

Christus is a work that incorporates many elements of Gregorian chant chorales, with texts drawn from the Bible and the Catholic liturgy.

Liszt also composed another oratorio titled The Legend of St.

Elizabeth.

Judit of VictoryAntonio Vivaldi

Antonio Vivaldi – Juditha Triumphans – Arma, caedes, vindictae, furores

This is an oratorio by the Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi, famous for The Four Seasons.

As the title suggests, it opens with powerful, triumphant music.

Composed in 1716 for the Ospedale della Pietà, where Vivaldi taught, it sets a story about the faith of a woman from the Book of Judith.

Juditha triumphans is the only surviving oratorio by Vivaldi; he is said to have written three others, but they have been lost and can no longer be heard today.

If we could hear them, it would be wonderful to do so.

Great FloodMichelangelo Falvetti

Michelangelo Falvetti – Il Diluvio Universale – Ecco l’Iride paciera | 2 variants (excerpts)

This is an oratorio composed by the 17th-century Italian composer Michelangelo Falvetti.

Written to a libretto based on the Old Testament story of Noah’s Ark, the music depicts the scene in which God decides to bring a great flood upon the earth, the confusion of the people, the deaths of many in the storm, and the moment when Noah’s family, having survived aboard the ark, offer thanks to God.

In 1682, when Falvetti assumed the post of maestro di cappella at the cathedral in Messina, a strait-side town on the island’s eastern coast, this Deluge was premiered there in the same year.

Oratorio “The Apostles,” Op. 49Edward Elgar

Elgar The Apostles – BBC Symphony Orchestra – Gennady Rozhdestvensky (RFH, 1982)

An oratorio by the British composer Edward Elgar, also known for works like “Pomp and Circumstance.” Based on the New Testament, it’s a grand piece that runs to about two hours.

Perhaps the real highlight is the vivid psychological portrayal of its characters.

Elgar conveys the emotions of Judas, tormented by guilt, and Mary Magdalene, seeking salvation, using intricate leitmotifs that reflect Wagner’s influence.

You can also revel in the dramatic dynamics unique to orchestra and chorus—complete with the ancient shofar sounding.

Premiered in 1903, the work continues to be highly esteemed; a performance conducted by Sir Mark Elder won at the 2013 BBC Music Magazine Awards.

Highly recommended for those who want to immerse themselves in a richly narrative world of classical music.

The Legend of Saint ElizabethFranz Liszt

Ferenc Liszt: The Legend of St. Elizabeth

Franz Liszt is famous as a wizard of the piano, but did you know he also composed a grand sacred work themed on a saint from his homeland, Hungary? This piece is an oratorio depicting the compassionate life of Princess Elisabeth, who married into the Landgraves of Thuringia.

In fact, the sweeping conception was inspired by a cycle of frescoes in Wartburg Castle.

A prayer motif symbolizing the saint recurs throughout the work, lending the narrative profound spirituality and a strong sense of unity—truly wonderful.

Premiered in August 1865 under Liszt’s own baton, the work can be heard on recordings such as the Hungaroton release conducted by János Ferencsik.

It’s highly recommended when you want to immerse yourself in a moving sound world of majestic chorus and orchestra—quite different from opera.