Cantata

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Cantata \Can*ta"ta\, n. [It., fr. cantare to sing, fr. L.
     cantare intens of canere to sing.] (Mus.)
     A poem set to music; a musical composition comprising
     choruses, solos, interludes, etc., arranged in a somewhat
     dramatic manner; originally, a composition for a single
     noise, consisting of both recitative and melody.


     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  cantata
       n : a musical composition for voices and orchestra based on a
           religious text [syn: {oratorio}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  35 Moby Thesaurus words for "cantata":
     Negro spiritual, anthem, canticle, choral singing, chorale, chorus,
     church music, doxology, glee, gospel, gospel music, hymn,
     hymn-tune, hymnody, hymnology, introit, madrigal, madrigaletto,
     mass, motet, offertory, offertory sentence, oratorio, paean,
     passion, prosodion, psalm, psalmody, recessional, requiem,
     requiem mass, sacred music, spiritual, unison, white spiritual