* A staged musical drama with singing, acting, and dancing.
* Full orchestral accompaniment.
* Typically tells a story with multiple characters and plotlines.
* Can be serious, comic, or tragic.
Oratorio
* A large-scale musical composition for voices and orchestra.
* Typically tells a religious or moral story.
* Performed without staging or costumes.
* Can have many different sections called "choruses", "arias", and "recitatives".
Cantata
* A short musical composition for voices and instruments.
* Similar to cantata, but typically secular.
* Can have many different sections called "choruses", "arias", and "recitatives".
* Often performed as part of a church service.
Similarities
* All three genres are musical compositions for voices and instruments.
* They can all tell stories.
* They can all be serious, comic, or tragic.