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Learn about the musical genre of concerto, a composition for solo instrument and orchestra, from its origins in the Renaissance to the modern era. Explore the forms, styles, and masters of the concerto, such as Vivaldi, Mozart, Beethoven, and Stravinsky.
Feb 19, 2024 · The simplest definition of a concerto is that it is a composition for a solo instrument set against the background of an orchestral ensemble. In a way similar to sonatas and symphonies, the concerto is constructed of several movements that are tonally and thematically integrated.
A concerto ( / kənˈtʃɛərtoʊ /; plural concertos, or concerti from the Italian plural) is, from the late Baroque era, mostly understood as an instrumental composition, written for one or more soloists accompanied by an orchestra or other ensemble.
- Bach – Concerto for Two Violins in D minor. When you’re tired of playing on your own, it’s time to get a friend round. For violinists, that means learning the subtle intricacies of what is commonly known as the Bach Double – a gorgeous, stately work that demands much of the performer and little of the listener.
- Barber – Violin Concerto. Like the other great American concerto from this time, Copland’s for the clarinet, Barber’s knack in his only violin concerto was to take a chance on the instrument’s character.
- Bartók – Concerto for Orchestra. Turning the very idea of a concerto inside out, Bartók’s thrilling Concerto for Orchestra serves as a tour of the whole ensemble that highlights several instruments in turn.
- Beethoven – Piano Concerto No. 5 in E flat (‘Emperor’) The most famous of Beethoven’s piano concertos and perhaps of all his concertos in general, the ‘Emperor’, like its title suggests, towers above the piano repertoire.
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Jun 7, 2021 · Written by MasterClass. Last updated: Jun 7, 2021 • 3 min read. From the Baroque era through the present, symphonic composers favor the concerto for its ability to highlight soloists within an orchestra.
