Summary: |Orff: Carmina Burana" Carmina Burana - as is the case for any work that is sung is a cantata, though we typically reserve the term cantata to imply a specific meaning. In fact, it contrasts somewhat with an oratorio - an oratorio is like an opera, but it's a concert piece, without the acting and such, and its content is often sacred. A cantata is similar to an oratorio, but it is used directly as part of a church service. J.S. Bach wrote both sacred and secular cantatas, and in his use a cantata is merely a short oratorio. More details at our archives page @ https://archive.org/details/pcast230
