Editing Oratorio (section)

===Origins===
Although medieval plays such as the [[Ludus Danielis]] and [[Renaissance]] dialogue motets such as those of the [[Oltremontani]] had characteristics of an oratorio, the first oratorio is usually seen as [[Emilio de Cavalieri]]'s ''[[Rappresentatione di Anima, et di Corpo]]'' (1600). [[Claudio Monteverdi|Monteverdi]] composed ''[[Il Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda]]'' (1624) which can be considered as the first [[secular]] oratorio.

The origins of the oratorio can be found in sacred dialogues in Italy. These were settings of Biblical, Latin texts and musically were quite similar to [[motets]]. There was a strong narrative, dramatic emphasis and there were conversational exchanges between characters in the work. [[Giovanni Francesco Anerio]]'s ''Teatro harmonico spirituale'' (1619) is a set of 14 dialogues, the longest of which is 20 minutes long and covers the [[Conversion of Paul the Apostle|conversion of St. Paul]] and is for four soloists: Historicus (narrator), [[tenor]]; [[Paul the Apostle|St. Paul]], tenor; Voice from Heaven, [[Bass (voice type)|bass]]; and [[Ananias of Damascus|Ananias]], tenor. There is also a four-part chorus to represent any crowds in the drama. The music is often contrapuntal and [[madrigal (music)|madrigal-like]].
[[Philip Neri]]'s [[Oratory of Saint Philip Neri|Congregazione dell'Oratorio]] featured the singing of spiritual [[laude]]. These became more and more popular and were eventually performed in specially built [[oratory (worship)|oratories]] (prayer halls) by professional musicians. Again, these were chiefly based on dramatic and narrative elements.
Sacred opera provided another impetus for dialogues, and they greatly expanded in length (although never really beyond 60 minutes long). Cavalieri's ''Rappresentatione di Anima, et di Corpo'' is an example of one of these works, but technically it is not an oratorio because it features acting and dancing. It does, however contain music in the [[monodic]] style.
The first oratorio to be called by that name is [[Pietro della Valle]]'s ''Oratorio della Purificazione'', but due to its brevity (only 12 minutes long) and the fact that its other name was "dialogue", we can see that there was much ambiguity in these names.