A history of the oratorio. Vol. 1, The oratorio in the Baroque era : Italy, Vienna, Paris

Part I : The Antecedents and origins of the oratorio. The Middle Ages, Renaissance, and Roman Catholic reform. Some antecedents of the oratorio ; The oratorians and their social context ; Antecedents of the oratorio in Neri's oratory ; A reappraisal of some oratorio antecedents ; The early Baroque : Antecedents and incunabula of the oratorio ; Antecedents ; Anerio's Teatro and some incunabula of the oratorio

Part II. The oratorio in Italy, circa 1640-1720. Mid-Century Rome I : The oratorio volgare. Social, artistic, and literary background ; Musical background ; The oratories and their music ; Examples of the oratorio volgare ; The chief characteristics of the oratorio volgare ; Mid-century Rome II : Carissimi and the oratorio Latino. Rome's Latin oratory and its music ; Giacomo Carissimi ; Some contemporaries of Carissimi ; The chief characteristics of the oratorio Latino ; The Later Baroque I : Social contexts, patrons, composers, poets. Rome ; Other centers ; The later Baroque II : The libretto and music. The libretto ; The music of the oratorio from the 1660s to the 1680s ; The music of the oratorio from the 1680s to about 1720 ; Conclusion

Part III : The Italian oratorio outside Italy. Vienna. The oratorio and sepolcro in Vienna ; Paris. Social and musical background ; Marc-Antoine Charpentier and the Latin oratorio ; Parisian oratorios after Charpentier