[Classical] Masterpieces of oratorios. Recommended classical music.
The majestic harmonies resound, and the grand musical form known as the oratorio expresses Biblical stories through music.
Its history goes back to the Baroque era, and it has long been cherished as the pinnacle of sacred music.
Today, oratorios are performed not only in churches but also in concert halls, loved as a vital genre of classical music.
The true allure of the oratorio lies in the overwhelming richness and power created by the interweaving of chorus and orchestra.
It opens up a musical world distinct from opera.
In this article, we introduce masterful oratorios that have left their mark on the history of classical music.
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[Classical] Masterpieces of Oratorios. Recommended Classical Music (31–40)
Song of the ForestDmitri Shostakovich
An oratorio composed in 1949 by the modern Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich.
It is said to be the most famous and representative of his songs.
It was written to praise the forestry projects of the Soviet Union.
The Soviet authorities demanded music that would be easily understood by the masses, and in line with that, this work—which extolled Stalin—was lavishly praised.
However, because its content differed from Shostakovich’s true feelings, it is said that at the time of the premiere he sat in his hotel room, sobbing and drinking vodka.
JephthahGiacomo Carissimi
It is a Latin oratorio that premiered in Rome around 1649.
Giacomo Carissimi, a composer of the Roman School, wrote a great deal of church music, including seventeen oratorios.
After this work, vernacular-language oratorios developed in various Italian cities and countries.
Although there is no definitive answer as to which work is the world’s first oratorio, the oratorio scholar Lino Bianchi suggests that this piece was likely the earliest.
For those who wish to study or perform representative works of the oratorio genre, Carissimi’s Jephte is recommended, as it is considered to be close to the original model.
Children of Our AgeMichael Tippett
Michael Tippett was a British composer, and he wrote this oratorio in 1938 based on the incident in which Herschel Grynszpan, a Polish Jew, shot a Nazi diplomat in protest against the Nazis.
Spirituals of African American origin are also interwoven throughout the oratorio.
Guardians of PeaceSergei Prokofiev
This is an oratorio composed in 1948, late in life and from his sickbed, by Sergei Prokofiev, one of Russia’s leading composers.
Having witnessed the horrors of war, Prokofiev set a libretto themed on averting war and safeguarding peace.
A children’s chorus appears throughout, and its hopeful sonority has led many to regard the work as a moving appeal for the preciousness of peace.
While oratorios often take on religious subjects such as the Resurrection of Christ, there are also non-religious examples, such as “Nagasaki” by the German-Jewish composer Alfred Garrievich Schnittke.
Both works pray for peace and depict the tragedy of war, making them unusual within the oratorio genre, but they are pieces I strongly encourage you to hear.
Joan of Arc at the StakeArthur Honegger
An oratorio composed by the Swiss-born modern French composer Arthur Honegger, with a libretto by the French poet Paul Claudel.
It premiered in Basel, Switzerland, in 1938.
On the night before Joan of Arc’s execution by burning, the monk Dominique visits Joan, and she reflects back on her past, returning to her childhood.
[Classical] Masterpieces of Oratorio: Recommended Classical Music (41–50)
Cain: The First MurderDomenico Scarlatti
In the Baroque era, Scarlatti was one of Italy’s representative composers.
He, too, wrote several oratorios.
This piece is based on the Old Testament story of Cain and Abel.
Cain and Abel offered sacrifices to God, but while Abel offered what God desired, Cain’s offering did not please Him, so Cain grew angry and killed Abel.
This is the first murder in human life.
The opening violin solo sounds as if it foretells a tragic fate.
Creation of Heaven and EarthFranz Joseph Haydn
It is an oratorio composed in 1798 by Franz Joseph Haydn, who was from Austria.
Based on the Book of Genesis in the Old Testament and Milton’s Paradise Lost, it is one of Haydn’s representative works.
The music depicts the six days of God’s creation of heaven and earth, as well as the story of Adam and Eve, and it begins with a powerful overture befitting the title The Creation.
It is also a landmark work in the oratorio genre, and for those who want to learn what an oratorio is like—its musical character and the kind of forces involved in performance—Haydn’s oratorio The Creation is highly recommended as an introduction.