3.2. Religious music

During the Baroque, religious music continued having great importance. In general both, Catholic and Protestant churches continued cultivating the genres of the Renaissance, this is motet and mass (Catholic Church) and chorale (Protestant Church).

However, in the Baroque new religious forms appeared: the cantata, the oratorio, and the passion.

Regarding instruments being played in religious music, during this period there is going to be more allowance, so instruments are going to start being played in the Church (besides the organ, which was the only instrument allowed before the Baroque). This is because instrumental music was very popular and people liked it a lot, and the Catholic Church decided to be more attractive by the use of music.

3.2.1. Cantata

Originated as a secular form, was soon adopted by the Church. It means "music for singing", as opposed to the sonata (instrumental music).

It is a compound form written for orchestra, choir and soloists. 

Between the main composers of this genre, we can name Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767) or Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750).

3.2.2. Oratorio

Oratorios were similar to operas but without stage performance. The theme was religious, and oratorios were more elaborate and longer than cantatas. 

The oratorio introduces a narrator and tells a religious story based on texts from the Old and New Testaments.

It consists of music written for orchestra, choir, and soloists. Musically it includes recitatives, arias, and choirs.

One of the most famous oratorios is Messiah by Georg Friedrich Haendel (1685-1759). You can listen to a fragment of this piece below:

3.2.3. Passion

It is an oratorio about the passion and death of Christ, inspired by the Gospels. The most important composer is Johann Sebastian Bach with the wors: St. John Passion and St. Matthew Passion. Below you can listen to a fragment of St. Matthew Passion: