[LottiFurmann]

Oratorio forms an integral part of any baroque period music just like the operas. For the same reason Maestro Ilaiyaraaja also used this style to compose his Thiruvasagam. AFAIK oratorio style was introduced primarily to focus people to turn pious towards religion outside the churches. Opera is more dramatic and is not religious specific, but oratorio is sacred and mostly religious specific. But sometimes these concepts are even interchanged between operas and oratorio.

First one comes to my mind whenever I think about oratorio is Sir George Frideric Handel and his Messiah. But there are many composers before him wrote lot of oratorios. One such gem of a composer is Barbara Strozzi. Yes, she is a woman composer at that time who is very prolific and wrote many oratorios. But coming to Messiah, the beauty in this is there is no standard version. Based on the singer and instruments availability this has changed. One version I liked the most (hope everyone cannot deny this) is the one arranged and orchestrated by the greatest composer of all time Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Just imagine the best composer of oratorio Sir Handel's composition orchestrated by the great Mozart.

Here it is, Hallelujha from Messiah composed by Handel and arranged by Mozart.