Define concerto grosso. Concerto Definition & Meaning 2022-10-16

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A concerto grosso is a musical form that originated in the Baroque period and is characterized by the alternation between a small group of solo instruments (the concertino) and a larger ensemble (the ripieno). The concertino, typically made up of one or two violins and a cello, plays the melody and is accompanied by the ripieno, which consists of a larger group of instruments such as violins, violas, cellos, and basses. The concertino and ripieno interact with each other in a call-and-response fashion, with the concertino presenting a melody or theme and the ripieno providing a background or accompaniment.

The concerto grosso is often referred to as a "concerted" form because it involves collaboration between the soloists and the larger ensemble. It was a popular form in the Baroque period, especially in Italy, and was often used to showcase the virtuosity of soloists in a concert setting. Some of the most famous composers of concerti grossi include Antonio Vivaldi, Arcangelo Corelli, and George Frideric Handel.

One of the defining characteristics of the concerto grosso is the use of a ritornello, a repeated section that serves as a structural element in the piece. The ritornello is typically played by the ripieno and serves as a backdrop for the solo sections, which are known as the "tutti" sections. The solo sections, played by the concertino, often feature virtuosic passages and elaborate melodies.

In addition to the alternation between the concertino and ripieno, the concerto grosso often includes other structural elements such as the use of ground bass, a repeated harmonic pattern that serves as the foundation for the piece, and the use of contrast, both in terms of musical style and instrumentation.

While the concerto grosso was a popular form in the Baroque period, it fell out of favor in the Classical period and was largely replaced by the solo concerto, which features a single instrument as the soloist. However, the concerto grosso has seen a resurgence in recent years and continues to be a popular form in classical music.

CONCERTO GROSSO

define concerto grosso

Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Further, the concertino does not share thematic material with the ripieno, but presents unique ideas. In the first type, a movement's title simply refers to, and is synonymous with, the tempo in which the movement was to be performed. The more common Ritornello form involves a tutti or full orchestra introduction of the main theme, followed by various episodes or cadenzas performed by soloist members of the concertino. This is in contrast to the concerto which features a single solo instrument with the melody line, accompanied by the orchestra.

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What does concerto grosso mean? definition, meaning and audio pronunciation (Free English Language Dictionary)

define concerto grosso

A portrait of Arcangelo Corelli Significant Examples of Concerti Grossi A page from the manuscript of the Op. Definitions and Early Development A gathering of Baroque musicians A big get-together of musicians can mean many things to many people, but it has a specific meaning when we use the Italian term concerto grosso. The movements of a concerto da chiesa were typically marked by contrasts of tempo and were named as tempo designations like ''adagio'' slow and ''allegro'' fast. Again, Italian influence is reflected in the many concerti by Vivaldi and others that Bach transcribed and reworked for harpsichord or for organ. The Instrumentation of the Concerto Grosso The ripieno group of the concerto grosso most often consists of two violin parts, a viola part, a cello part, continuo a dedicated accompanying ensemble that consisted of a cello or viol and a harpsichord, organ, or lute , and sometimes a contrabass part. In practice, the concerto grosso had a relatively short lifespan as a popular sub-genre for composers and audiences.

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Concerto grosso Definition, Meaning & Usage

define concerto grosso

Despite this, the solo concerto has continued to dominate the concerto grosso as the most popular concerto form. Thus, only a few solo parts had to be played by experts hired primarily as professional musicians. For Arcangelo Corelli, a famous composer of concerti grossi from Rome, which was the city in which concerti grossi were most intensely cultivated, these two types of movements were consistently grouped into two styles based on where they were primarily performed: camera, meaning chamber, and chiesa, meaning church. The concerto grosso was most popular from the late 17th century to the mid-18th century. The Instrumentation of the Concerto Grosso The ripieno group of the concerto grosso most often consists of two violin parts, a viola part, a cello part, continuo a dedicated accompanying ensemble that consisted of a cello or viol and a harpsichord, organ, or lute , and sometimes a contrabass part. The concert opened with a brilliant performance of a not-so- brilliant work, Ernest Bloch's entertaining Concerto Grosso for String Orchestra and Piano Obbligato. Such changes include themes sharpened melodically and musical textures enriched by the addition of new melodic entries to contrapuntal passages or by more intensive interplay of musical motives.

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What does concerto grosso mean?

define concerto grosso

What is a concerto grosso? The most common tempo arrangements for concerto grosso movements of the time are fast-slow-fast for three-movement concertos and slow-fast-slow-fast for four-movement concertos, but any arrangement of fast and slow is technically possible. The movements of a concerto da camera were styled after characteristics of a baroque dance suite and were aptly named for dances like ''sarabande'' and ''gigue''. This combination of instrument groups is often referred to as a ''large consort'' ripieni and ''little consort'' concertino in the earliest days of the song. The opposition of a full orchestra, playing relatively simple parts, to a few soli, playing more difficult, even virtuosic parts, made it possible to entrust the full-orchestra parts to relative novices in the court entourage, often to servants who could play in addition to their other duties. In the early days of the concerto, the early to mid 17th century, the term was applied to many types of music, including vocal and instrumental music. The first major composer to use the term concerto grosso was concerti grossi was published.

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Concerto Grosso Concept & Movements

define concerto grosso

This practical advantage can be argued only while the distinction between simple and difficult parts prevailed. Definitions and Early Development A gathering of Baroque musicians A big get-together of musicians can mean many things to many people, but it has a specific meaning when we use the Italian term concerto grosso. It often consists of three or four movements in a fast-slow-fast or slow-fast-slow-fast arrangement, though other arrangements are possible, and these movements can be of two types: dance or abstract. Right around 1750 just after Handel composed his Concerti Grossi, Op. What is a Concertino and a Ripieno? The concerto da chiesa was a type of concerto grosso meant to be performed at church concerts.

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concerto

define concerto grosso

That this title did indicate a composite concept i. Concerti grossi were often performed in two different venues, the church concerto da chiesa or during secular chamber concerts concerto da camera. He also had a strong influence on Antonio Vivaldi. After the middle of the 18th century, the concerto grosso became unpopular and was only occasionally written after that time. Movement Arrangement and Number within the Concerto Grosso The concerto in general is a multi-movement form, which means that the work will have more than one complete section, complete in the sense that it can be performed on its own and sound complete in and of itself. Movement Types within the Concerto Grosso There are two main types of movements that appear in concerti grossi, abstract designations of tempo and dance movement titles. Concerto grosso The concerto grosso Italian for big concert o , plural concerti grossi is a form of baroque music in which the musical material is passed between a small group of soloists the concertino and full orchestra the ripieno or concerto grosso.

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What Is A Concerto Grosso?

define concerto grosso

Concerti grossi were very common in the Baroque era 1600-1750. Whether including three or four contrasting tempos, the first movement is always in ritornello or fugue form. The concerto grosso form was superseded by the concerto grosso has been used by composers including Introduction and Allegro strongly resembled the instrumentation setup of a concerto grosso. The concerto da chiesa alternated slow and fast movements; the concerto da camera had the character of a suite, being introduced by a prelude and incorporating popular dance forms. The form developed in the late seventeenth century, although the name was not used at first.

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Concerto grosso Definition & Meaning

define concerto grosso

A concerto grosso, Italian for big concerto, is a type of musical composition popular during the Baroque Era 1600-1750 A. But in both sets the variety of instrumental combinations is exceptional, even from movement to movement. Because of this, they were considered appropriate for use in the church though they could be performed anywhere. The earliest example of the formalized concerto grosso style can be found in A Stradella's Sinfonie a piu instrumenti, as well as a select number of compositions by Arcangelo Corelli that seem to be composed around the same time as the Sinfonie a piu instrumenti. Like the musical Violin Concerto No. The name, as its translation, describes the concerto grosso definition in the most literal sense.

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Concerto Definition & Meaning

define concerto grosso

Wind instruments were also common. Retrieved 14 April 2016. Such relatively neutral themes and motives, which unfold more as Recurring melodic ideas account for two other of the most frequent principles of musical structure in the concerto grosso, those of Violin Concerto No. Not long after, composers such as Problems playing this file? The form developed in the late seventeenth century, although the name was not used at first. How to Listen to and Understand Great Music 3rded. Later the term ''concerto grosso'' would become common when referring to the compositions written for the collective consorts.

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