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During the second half of the 17th Century , there were trends toward the Secularization of the religious oratorio. Evidence of this lies in its regular performance outside Church halls in courts and public Theater s. Whether religious or secular, the theme of an oratorio is meant to be weighty. It could include such topics as the Creation Of The World , the life of Jesus , or the career of a classical hero or biblical Prophet . Other changes eventually took place as well, possibly because most composers of oratorios were also popular composers of operas. They began to publish the Libretto s of their oratorios as they did for their operas. Strong emphasis was soon placed on arias while the use of the choir diminished. Female singers become regularly employed, and replaced the male Narrator with the use of Recitative s. Eventually, Monteverdi composed '' Il Combattimento Di Tancredi E Clorinda '' which is considered to be the first Secular oratorio. George Frideric Handel , most famous today for his '' Messiah '', also wrote secular oratorios based on themes from Greek and Roman mythology. He is also credited with writing the first English language oratorio. EARLY HISTORY In the 17th Century , composers made numerous attempts to create a religious Opera to satisfy both public tastes and Church restrictions. Emilio De' Cavalieri is known for the boldest undertaking with '' Rappresentatione Di Anima, Et Di Corpo '', but this work was not successful. Meanwhile, religious communities were creating more elaborate musical programs for gatherings and prayer meetings. The halls where they worshiped were referred to as "oratories", so the art form came to be known as the oratorio. The peak period for composition of oratorios is the 17th and 18th centuries. By the mid-17th century, two types had developed:
Lasting about 30-60 minutes, ''oratorio volgares'' were performed in two sections, separated by a Sermon ; their music resembles that of contemporary operas and chamber Cantata s.
The most significant composer of ''oratorio latino'' is Giacomo Carissimi, whose ''Jephte'' is regarded as the first masterpiece of the genre. Like most other Latin oratorios of the period, it is in one section only. STRUCTURE Oratorios usually contain:
LIST OF NOTABLE ORATORIOS (ordered chronologically by year of premiere)
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