or hymns, that are sung in
them all, and sometimes there was playing on instruments between the
acts. In a play written by Damiano and printed at Siena, 1519,
according to Crescimbeni, at the beginning of every act there was an
octave stanza, which was sung to the sound of the lyra viol by a
personage called Orpheus, who was solely retained for that purpose; at
other times a madrigal was sung between the acts, after the manner of a
chorus."

It was not until the time when San Filippo Neri began his dramatization
and performance of Biblical stories, such as "The Good Samaritan," "The
Prodigal Son," and "Tobias and the Angels," accompanied with music
written by his friend Giovanni Animuccia, that the term "Oratorio" came
to be accepted as the distinctive title of these sacred musical dramas.
His productions were very crudely and hastily arranged, his only purpose
having been to render his service attractive. After his death, however,
in 1595, his work was continued by Emilio del Cavaliere, a Roman
composer, who produced the first real oratorio which had as yet appeared.
It was entitled "La Rappresentazione dell' Anima e del Corpo" ("The Soul
and the Body"), and was first performed in February, 1600, in the oratory
of the Church of Santa Maria della Vallicella at Rome. Burney assigns to
it the credit of being "the first sacred drama or oratorio in which
recitative was used." The characters were Time, Human Life, the World,
Pleasure, the Intellect, the Soul, the Body, and two youths who were to
recite the prologue. The orchestra was composed of a double lyre, a
harpsichord, a large or double guitar, and two flutes. The composer has
left some curious instructions for the performance of his work; among
them the following:--

"Pleasure, an imaginary character, with two companions, are to have
instruments in their hands, on which they are to play while they sing
and perform the ritornels.

"Il Corpo, the Body, when these words are uttered, 'Si che hormai alma
mia,' etc., may throw away some of his ornaments, as his gold collar,
feather from his hat, etc.

"The World, and Human Life in particular, are to be gayly and richly
dressed; and when they are divested of their trappings, to appear very
poor and wretched, and at length dead carcases."

The ballet played a prominent part in all the early oratorios, and the
composer has also left detailed instructions for its guidance. During the
ritor