Form & Structure
Concerto
Pronounced kun-CHAIR-toh
A concerto is a work for one or more soloists and orchestra, usually in three movements (fast–slow–fast), that contrasts the soloist with the full ensemble.
A concerto sets a soloist, or a small group of soloists, against an orchestra. The two sides take turns, answer each other and join forces, and the soloist gets passages that show off technique and tone. Most concertos have three movements:
- Fast, often the longest and most dramatic, usually with a cadenza.
- Slow, lyrical, giving the soloist a chance to sing on the instrument.
- Fast finale, often a rondo, energetic and brilliant.
The Baroque concerto
The concerto took shape in Italy around 1700. Two types dominated:
- Concerto grosso: a small group of soloists (the concertino) alternates with the full string orchestra (the ripieno or tutti). Bach's six Brandenburg Concertos use many different solo groups.
- Solo concerto: one soloist with strings and continuo. Vivaldi wrote hundreds, including The Four Seasons, a set of four violin concertos.
Fast Baroque concerto movements often use ritornello form: a recurring orchestral passage (the ritornello) returns in different keys, with solo episodes in between.
The Classical and Romantic concerto
Mozart's piano concertos, more than twenty of them, set the Classical model. The first movement often has a double exposition: the orchestra presents the themes, then the soloist enters and presents them again, moving to the new key. Near the end, the orchestra pauses for the soloist's cadenza.
Beethoven and the Romantic composers who followed made the soloist even more heroic: Beethoven's five piano concertos, the violin concertos of Mendelssohn, Brahms and Tchaikovsky, and the piano concertos of Chopin, Grieg, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff are all repertoire staples.
Concerto for orchestra
In the 20th century, some composers wrote concertos with no single soloist, showcasing every section of the orchestra in turn. Bartók's Concerto for Orchestra is the best-known example.
How to listen
Notice who leads at each moment: the orchestra alone (tutti), the soloist alone, or both together. In the first movement, listen for the soloist's first entrance after the orchestral opening, and for the moment the orchestra stops on a held chord and the cadenza begins.
Common questions
What is the difference between a concerto and a symphony?
A concerto typically highlights one or more instrumental soloists with orchestra. A symphony centers on the orchestra but can also include voices. Concertos usually have three movements, symphonies four; both have exceptions.
What is a concerto grosso?
A Baroque type of concerto in which a small group of soloists (the concertino) alternates and combines with the full orchestra (the ripieno). Bach's Brandenburg Concertos include several.
