From Italian cantata 'a sung piece,' from Latin cantāre 'to sing,' created as the vocal counterpart to the sonata.
A medium-length vocal composition with instrumental accompaniment, typically involving soloists, chorus, and orchestra.
From Italian cantata, past participle of cantare 'to sing,' from Latin cantāre, frequentative of canere 'to sing.' The cantata emerged in early 17th-century Italy as the vocal counterpart to the sonata (from sonare 'to sound'). J.S. Bach composed over 200 church cantatas. Key roots: *kan- (Proto-Indo-European: "to sing").