[Classical] Masterpieces of oratorios. Recommended classical music.

The Childhood of ChristHector Berlioz

Hector Berlioz: Trio “Arrival at Sais” (from “L´Enfance du Christ”, op. 25)

An oratorio composed by the French Romantic composer Berlioz, known for the Symphonie fantastique.

The French lyrics were also entirely written by Berlioz.

At the time, plagued by harsh criticism rife with prejudice and malice, Berlioz released the work anonymously.

After it was acclaimed by audiences and critics, he later revealed that it was his own composition and regained his reputation.

Oedipus RexIgor Stravinsky

Igor Stravinsky – Oedipus Rex

A work by the modern Russian composer Stravinsky.

It is an oratorio based on the Greek myth of Oedipus, featuring a scene from the legends about him.

This video includes Japanese narration, making it easy for first-time viewers to understand.

The Promised LandJules Massenet

Jules Massenet – La Terre Promise Oratorio [After The Vulgate] (1897-99)

Jules Massenet, the French composer known for having many celebrated operas and for the frequently performed Méditation from Thaïs with its beautiful violin solo, also wrote several oratorios.

This oratorio is based on the episode in which the God of the Old Testament promises a land to the people of Israel.

It opens with an overture of grand and tragic character.

The work is a three-part oratorio with a French libretto based on Sylvestre de Sacy’s French translation of the Vulgate Bible.

The duty of the First CommandmentWolfgang Amadeus Mozart

W. A. Mozart – KV 35 – Die Schuldigkeit des ersten Gebots

It is said to be one of Mozart’s early stage works and is sometimes classified as an oratorio.

Remarkably, he wrote it at the age of eleven, yet the piece already exhibits Mozart’s characteristic lightness and elegance.

Unfortunately, aside from the autograph score of the first part, the rest has been lost, and it is now rarely performed.

The Drama of Soul and FleshEmilio de’ Cavalieri

Emilio de’ Cavalieri, Rappresentazione Di Anima Et Di Corpo

Premiered in Rome in 1600, it is said to be the first composed oratorio.

While oratorios are typically vocal works with religious themes and no staging, this piece includes costumes and stage direction, so it is often considered, strictly speaking, closer to an opera.

GolgothaFrank Martin

Frank Martin: GOLGOTHA

The Swiss Protestant composer Frank Martin was born in Geneva, and while studying mathematics and physics at the University of Geneva, he also pursued composition and piano in earnest.

As modern music saw a steady collapse of tonality, Frank Martin opposed atonality and adhered to tonality.

Golgotha was composed in 1949, and it was performed in Japan in 1978 by the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra.

The Story of the Resurrection of Jesus ChristHeinrich Schütz

SWV 50 – Heinrich Schütz – Historia der Auferstehung Jesu Christi

Heinrich Schütz was a composer who served as Kapellmeister at the court in Dresden, Germany, in the 17th century.

Born a hundred years before Bach, he is regarded as the most important composer of the early German Baroque and is called the “father of German music.” This is an oratorio with a sacred atmosphere that narrates Jesus’s death by crucifixion and his resurrection.