Editing Oratorio (section)

===1650–1700===
During the second half of the 17th century, there were trends toward the performance of the religious oratorio also outside [[Church (building)|church]] halls in courts and public [[theater|theaters]]. The theme of an oratorio is meant to be weighty. It could include such topics as [[Genesis creation myth|Creation]], the life of [[Jesus]], or the career of a classical hero or Biblical [[Prophets of Christianity|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|librettos]] 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 became regularly employed, and replaced the male [[narrator]] with the use of [[recitative|recitatives]].

By the mid-17th century, two types had developed:

* ''oratorio latino'' (in [[Latin]])&nbsp;– first developed at the [[Oratorio del Santissimo Crocifisso]], related to the church of [[San Marcello al Corso]] in [[Rome]].

The most significant composers of ''oratorio latino'' were in Italy [[Giacomo Carissimi]], whose ''[[Jephte (Carissimi)|Jephte]]'' is regarded as the first masterpiece of the genre (like most other Latin oratorios of the period, it is in one section only), and in France Carissimi's pupil [[Marc-Antoine Charpentier]] (34 works H.391 - H.425).

* ''oratorio volgare'' (in [[Italian language|Italian]])&nbsp;– representative examples include:
** Giacomo Carissimi's ''Daniele''
** [[Marco Marazzoli]]'s ''S Tomaso''
** similar works written by [[Francesco Foggia]], [[Luigi Rossi]], [[Alessandro Stradella]]

Lasting about 30–60 minutes, ''oratori volgari'' were performed in two sections, separated by a [[sermon]]; their music resembles that of contemporary operas and chamber [[cantata|cantatas]].