Rappresentazione Sacra

(It., sacred performance). A religious spectacle developed in Florence beginning in the 15th century. Musically, it contained a succession of polyphonic CANZONAS. The first MONODIC example of the genre was LA RAPPRESENTAZIONE DI ANIMA E DI CORPO, 1600, by Emilio de Cavalieri. This work was a predecessor to the Italian historia and ORATORIO, as well as the Viennese sepolochro.