A History of the Oratorio

“Smither brings to a triumphant conclusion his survey of the oratorio. . . . Smither’s treatment of this large and sprawling topic is exemplary. . . . All in all, this volume is an outstanding achievement, both in its own right and as the final installment of The History of the Oratorio. The four volumes together stand as an invaluable survey of the oratorio genre over five centuries, to be read with profit and pleasure by musicologists, music students, social historians, and the general musical public. Smither and his publisher, the University of North Carolina Press, are to be congratulated on the successful completion of one of the most important musicological projects of recent times.” — Music Library Association Notes

“Smither is to be congratulated that this huge project — a quarter-century in the undertaking — has led to a final volume which, like its predecessors, combines wide-ranging scholarly research with a style that is both accessible and enjoyable. No one with a passion for oratorio should miss it: no one with even a vague interest in the subject can fail to have that interest stimulated further. . . . A splendid final volume to a series which I am sure will remain a valuable source of information and reference for decades to come.” — The Musical Times

“With this massive volume Howard Smither brings to a triumphant conclusion his masterly history of a notoriously problematic genre. . . . [He] must be congratulated on this major contribution to historical scholarship.” — Music and Letters

“This book completes one of the most important historical surveys that has been offered to musical scholarship in this generation. Smither has maintained the high levels of research and writing established in the other volumes. His selection of works for detailed treatment amounts to a historical judgment of value which he alone is qualified to make.” — Nicholas Temperley, University of Illinois

“Howard Smither has written what will no doubt become the standard reference work on the history of the oratorio. His painstaking research sheds new light on the social contexts, aesthetic theory, and stylistic development of the genre. The rise and fall of the oratorio is meticulously examined through probing discussions of the familiar masterworks and extended treatments of the various national traditions. All in all, a splendid achievement.” — R. Larry Todd, Duke University